fox
by flourescized
Summary: uzumaki naruto is lead singer of the hit band 'fox'. uchiha sasuke has just left akatsuki. when the organisation discovers their shared past, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them.. au, sasunaru
1. It's Just Not Right

**Title: **FOX

**Chapter: **1 – The Meeting

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**Notes:** This is my first fic ever, so I'd really appreciate it if you reviewed and stuff with suggestions or ideas on how to improve it, cos I'm not entirely sure if it's good enough or not.

**Update 1: **Thanks to Chocobut for pointing out some bits of background information I left out that you might be interested in. Firstly, Sakura lives with Sasuke as _friends_, but she probably wishes it was more. The band members are (at the moment) unnamed OCs, I'll probably name them later or something, cos there are scenes with them in coming up and it'll be kinda hard to write around it. The 'complications' come in at Chapter 3, which I'm writing at the moment.

**Update 2: **I've been through the chapter and changed stuff and made it longer cos I wasn't really happy with it. I hope it's better now, or something. _I'm_ happier with it at least, so whatever.

**Disclaimer:** Only in dreams.

* * *

The raven sat in front of the television, listening to the slightly metallic voices being emitted from the small box. He was sprawled over a slightly tatty red sofa, yet the position which would have looked distasteful and unappealing on anyone else seemed somehow graceful. He was wearing a simple navy blue shirt and jeans, and went barefoot. He pushed a few strands of his dark hair, which had strayed into his eyes, away from his face, still focused on the people talking. 

The blonde interviewer was sitting across from three young men, all of whom were attractive and brunette, dressed in similar clothing to one another. She wore a big grin plastered over her face – of course, not an unattractive grin. Yamanaka Ino had been the main reporter for TN news for a long time, and it was common knowledge that she practiced that same grin in the mirror every morning.

"And here with us today we have the band members of Fox!" the dark gaze moved from the girl who was using an unnaturally cheery tone, which was most likely rehearsed as well, to the three boys sitting in individual chairs. He sighed; it was so obvious that somebody was missing, somebody that had been hidden from the public for about two weeks; somebody that brought light and laughter and smiles with him, no matter who he was with, or where he was.

"Yeah, we're really worried about him."

He was snapped out of his reverie as the boy on the left spoke - he was easily distinguishable from the other two, being the odd one out as the boys were identical twins. He was known as the calmer, more serious member, but now he was tugging slightly anxiously on the edge of his shirt.

"Something's gone wrong somewhere, he's going a bit off the rails or something." Taking a deep breath he continued, "We've caught him arguing a lot lately; with himself…" as they trailed off into an uncomfortable silence, even the interviewer shifted silently in her seat, at a loss, before moving onto the next scripted question.

"So, boys, any ideas what's wrong with him?" she attempted her trademark grin once again, but for the first time in her career, it didn't work. Though her mouth turned up at the corners, it was weak and the emotion never reached her eyes. It was almost painful to watch the confident, charismatic girl in this state. In answer to her question, the boys simply shook their heads somberly. Though the name of the person they were talking about hadn't been uttered, anybody that knew anything going on at the moment at least had an idea, and with the picture in the background, it was fairly obvious anyway.

Sasuke blocked out the sound of yet another awkward question and stared at the picture. In it was a boy with a slightly rounded, almost childish face. The tanned skin was unmarked and bright blue eyes sparkled from beneath a mane of yellowish-blonde hair hair like the sun, Sasuke couldn't help but think to himself, _and his eyes are like the sea_. All in all, the boy reminded him of some tropical island – exotic, and far away.

The door behind him banged open, and the raven could hear the clicking of heels as his roommate entered. She hung up her coat on the hanger, and moved to stand behind the sofa just as the background picture was enlarged to fill the whole screen. Despite herself, her breath caught and her eyes lit up at the sight of him. She moved around to sit next to Sasuke, perched on the edge due to the fact that he was taking up so much of the limited space.

She glared at him, piercing green eyes showing disapproval and annoyance, but humor as well. As hard as she tried, she could never be angry with Sasuke. The boy finally acknowledged the fact that she was there, looking over at her with a smirk as he noticed the put-out expression on her face. Intensifying her glare again, she flicked her pink hair over her shoulder and turned to look at the TV again, commenting on the picture.

"He's so hot now…" she breathed, entranced by the sparkling azure gaze, even though it was only an image made up of millions of pixels - the boy had that much of an effect on people.

"Who was that again?" Sasuke muttered sarcastically, earning himself an exasperated groan from the girl next to him for that comment.

"Who do you _think_?" she asked, sounding angry, though the glint in her eyes was not malice but laughter. She gestured the TV in front of them, "should've gone to Specsavers." She said; a comment that was not remotely funny, but had the other smirking all the same. Taking some time to think over the last statement, she reconsidered. "They're all pretty hot actually, but he's the best by far." The glint that had been laughter only minutes before now turned to calculating, "I know _you_ think so, Sasuke-kun."

It had intended to be a joke, but with a slight shock she realized that the boys face, usually so pale, now had a pinkish tinge to it. Though she was surprised, she smirked evilly, _just another thing to blackmail him about, and we all know he wants _me_ really._ Finished reassuring herself, she turned back to the screen.

The picture had shrunk, now filling only the left side of the screen, but what was on the right was more disturbing. It was another picture of the same man, only now the tanned skin was dull and pinched, unhealthy looking. The vibrant eyes mimicked the lack of life shown on the rest of his face – robbed of their usual sparkle, and he wasn't even attempting to smile. The latter alone was disturbing but add the first two points in as well, and things did _not_ look good.

Words now scrolled across the bottom of the screen, halting in the center and asking the world the question they all wanted to know the answer to in bold black letters.

**WHAT HAPPENED?**

Scrutinizing the pictures one last time, Sasuke sighed. In his opinion, that was a bloody good question, and one he only wished he knew the answer to.

* * *

"It's not fucking _right_, doing the interviews and shit without him there." One said; this time one of the twins who had remained silent during the interview. His twin agreed with him, nodding frantically, and the one who had been the first to speak in the interview murmered a soft 'I know'. As earlier, the boys were still unwilling to say their friend's name out loud. There was another slight silence as the others reminisced over the interviews they had had before whatever it was that had actually happened, happened. Naruto would be cracking jokes, making everyone smile and laugh, and they all had fun. Nowadays, it was a completely different experience. Hushed tones, somber expressions, and what was the most obvious was the lack of a certain blonde. The other twin was about to speak when he was interrupted, almost before he had begun by a shout. 

"YOU WON'T FUCKING WIN, DAMN FOX." Not another word was said as the boys raced down the corridor, to see what was wrong with their friend. When they stopped just outside the door they could still hear murmurs of a conversation, a conversation with only one participant. They stood there together, listening for a moment before cautiously entering. It wasn't unknown for him to attack or throw things at them in a rage when he was in this state.

Upon entering they looked around to find the blonde crouched in a corner, fists gripping his own hair, as if trying to pull it out in an insane frenzy. His appearance was even worse than the photo that was shown on TV. His eyes were crazed, and he had lost a lot of weight. Now, his skin looked sallow as well as dull. The spark of mischief that had once filled the boy was long gone. One of his friends stepped forewards, reaching out to try and pry his fingers from the blonde strands, but before he could even try the head was lifted and he was fixed with a crazed glare.

"Keep the fuck away, bastard," he growled in a voice that was not his own. The other boy flinched and took an involuntary step backwards, casting a desperate and worried glance over his shoulder at the pair behind him as the blonde looked down again, all the time arguing with himself in hushed murmurs. Every so often they caught a word or two. Either in his normal voice: '_no! … I won't do it! … you can't fucking make me!' _or in a harsher voice the boys didn't quite recognize, full of malice _'you _will_ … you are already losing'_

All of a sudden the boy folded in on himself, leaning against the wall and choking back sobs as he tried to apologize. "I-I'm sorry, guys," he whispered. Deeming it safe to approach, the other boys peeled themselves off the opposite wall and cautiously made their way over to comfort him.

"Hey, Naruto, it's okay," they whispered in soothing voices. Lying to both themselves and him – and fooling neither.

* * *

The black door slammed shut as the last member of the Akatsuki entered. Voices could be heard through the thick wood, and though none of them was raised, they seemed to be arguing anyway. This was rather unusual as Akatsuki meeting were usually meticulously organized; only speak when spoken to, hold your temper, never shout. 

Inside the room, ten men stood in a half circle, slight frowns on many of their faces. They all stood with their feet slightly apart and their hands hanging by their sides, dressed in the same long black cloak with red clouds on it – not very up to date, but it served the purpose of the members being easily recognizable for who they were.

"We need him _now_ if we're going to have any leverage with him at all," one said urgently, keeping his voice low, but barely winning the desperate emotional struggle that kept it that way.

"We're going to have to move soon. He is the only person we have enough information on to be able to get away with this and with all that has been happening recently, he will probably no longer be at the top within a short space of time, in which case we will have to begin again. This isn't only about Sasuke," another agreed, the same suppressed excitement in his voice.

The man in the centre opened his eyes slowly, thoughtfully.

"I agree. We will move now." He thought for a moment, "Sasuke doesn't appear to have worked out what we have used on him yet, either that or he is in denial. Itachi, you may want to _elaborate_ on the plan a little."

The man in question nodded slightly, and though his face showed no emotion, he was excited. It was obvious to the people who knew him the best in his now slightly rigid stance – muscles tensed, standing almost on the balls of his feet.

"You may go after him, Itachi. But be careful not to disrupt the plan."

"Yes, leader," Itachi nodded again, keeping his voice dangerously even, before walking out of the door and down the hallway, his uniform making a slight rustling sound as he turned. The other men began to leave, until the only one left was the man known as 'Leader'.

"So, now it begins." He murmured in a sinister voice, before he too left.


	2. My New Life

**Title: **FOX

**Chapter: **2 – Hinata

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**Notes:** I hope you all like it!

**Update: **The band members have names:trumpet sounds:

**Disclaimer:** Maybe next Christmas, hm?

* * *

_Flashback – 4 months ago_

The glass doors slid open with an almost inaudible whisper as the four boys that made up FOX walked into the cavernous entrance hall. They quickly crossed over to the receptionist's desk, a huge construction made from dark brown wood – perfectly in proportion with the room, though not with the woman seated behind it. They greeted her with big grins, excepting one. The usually sunny young man frowned at her, and folded his arms. As she noticed his expression, the girl smiled in return, though a little nervously, and began tapping on her keyboard, a light blush dusting her cheeks. This took a few minutes, and all the while she kept her gaze firmly on either the keys or the screen, meticulously avoiding the azure glare directed at her.

She pressed the 'enter' key with a final tap before looking up at the boys and speaking. "Mr. Sannin is waiting for you, through the doors on the left." She said this with a slight stutter, and the blush which had almost faded bloomed back to her cheeks, the red contrasting with her pale skin, as she accidentally met the gaze she had been avoiding. Instantly, her pale eyes turned downwards towards the desk and she subconsciously shrank back in her chair. Naruto let out an exasperated sigh.

"We go through that door every time we come here, do you think we're stupid enough to fucking _forget_ after three years?" the girl didn't answer, but her face flushed even brighter than before, the rosy hue spreading from her cheeks to consume her whole face. The blonde began to walk towards the doors she had indicated, calling over his shoulder for his friends to follow. They hurried to comply, now ignoring the crimson girl cowering behind her desk.

Having passed through the doors, the disapproving look stamped across the blonde's face dissolved into one of his trademark foxy grins, and he began to giggle slightly, his tanned face creasing up with unsuppressed mirth. The others couldn't help but laugh along with him; it was one of his many charms. If he was in a good mood, it was absolutely impossible to be sad or angry whilst in his presence.

As they approached the white haired man who was facing away from them, fiddling with various buttons and dials, he called out a cheery greeting, waving at his back, even though the other couldn't see him. "Hey Jiraaaiya!" he drew out the name in a sing-song voice that he knew infuriated the man.

He turned, a scowl on his face, completely ignoring the blonde. "Hi," he grunted at the three brunettes standing behind him. Naruto pouted at the man ignoring him. "Doesn't Naruto get a hello, then?" he whined childishly, and the others bit their lips trying their best not to burst out laughing at the effect this was having on the other man; his scowl had deepened and his hands were clenched into fists, whilst his face had flushed an unappealing shade of red.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you are twenty years old. When are you going to stop acting as if you were _six_?" the other shrugged, replying in the same infuriating tone.

"I don't know, maybe never? Anyway, it's all part of my charm, you know you love it reeeally!" the other man wrinkled his nose in distaste, replying in his most venomous tone.

"No, Naruto. I do _not_ love you." He pouted once again, taking in a breath to continue, before the other man gave in. The blonde would never give up, and he needed to get it over with. "Hello, Naruto." He finally turned his attention to all of their expressions, taking in their grins and trying his best to frown – however this task was impossible with Naruto grinning in front of him, so he settled instead with a dissatisfied smirk. "Do you _have_ to terrorize _all_ my receptionists? It's not _fair_." He whined, in a scarily accurate imitation of Naruto's voice. The childish tone was out of place coming from his mouth.

The blonde's grin widened as he replied. "But it's impossible_ not_ to, they all love me and its so much fun!" his friends groaned at him as he continued to smile happily.

"But did you _see_ how red that woman went?"

"You have to apologize," the second two said in unison, nodding wisely as they turned to the third. Kei and Izumi were identical twins, and used this to their advantage in most situations, succeeding, on most occasions, on infuriating whoever their target was – at that moment, their friend and band mate

"Right, Yuri?" the boy rolled his eyes, immune to their tactics, and nodded, turning to his friend.

"They're right, Naruto," he couldn't help but grinn as the blonde folded his arms and pouted sulkily.

"That's not fai-"he began, when he was interrupted, causing him to pout even more.

"Leave it as it is and you might just wake up to headlines tomorrow morning. Your whole image is being nice, if you go bully someone and leave it as is it'll all be stuff like 'Fox isn't as nice as he seems', or some crap like that."

"Wow, you'd make a _great_ journalist, Yuri. I'd hire you just to make up the headlines," he grinned foxily once again before sighing, "I guess you're right though, but still you _always_ take their side. It's probably blackmail or something…" he mused, before continuing with his previous train of thought. "I'll apologize on the way out, all better now?"

The boys jumped as Jiraiya cleared his throat impatiently, having forgotten all about the old man in the heat of their discussion, forgetting that the reason they were standing in the room at all was to see them. He glared menacingly, looking like a big white lion with his white hair sticking out in a halo around his head.

"Sorry!" they chimed in annoying sing-song voices, holding back grins, knowing it would further infuriate the man. They burst out laughing once again as Naruto let out a small roar.

"For the love of God!" he exploded, "will you give it a fucking _rest?_"

Naruto wore a fake-shocked expression, and wagging a finger, began to scold his manager in a motherly tone – or rather, what he imagined a motherly tone to be, having never had a mother to scold him.

"Now, now, Jiraiya, I don't want to have to tell you again." He placed his other hand on his hip, "We _never_ use the Lord's name in vain. And don't swear ei-"

"Fuck." Jiraiya interrupted loudly, "I don't _fucking_ care, Naruto!"

The boys fell silent, knowing it would be no more fun to push it further than they already had – the old man had snapped much faster than usual. Something was on his mind, and the best way to continue in this situation was to let him tell them. He took a few calming breaths before continuing.

"As you all should know, if you _bothered_ to listen to the message I left you," he paused, glaring at the boys all of whom looked slightly guilty, "I have some important news," he paused, almost as if waiting for the rude interruptions. When none came he looked up to find the boys nodding mutely, surprising him for once in the three years that he had known them.

"I'm quitting. I'm handing you ov-" he tried to say this as fast as possible, before being interrupted.

"What!?" they screeched in unison – even the usually serious Yuri, "no way!" Jiraiya winced.

"I just can't put up with this constant assault to my eardrums every time I see you anymore," he teased, a slight smile gracing his lips. The smile faded and he continued in a more serious tone, "Actually, I have some pretty serious matters at home I need to attend to, so I'm handing you over to my brother." He beckoned the dark haired man who had been standing in the shadows, unnoticed until now. "Get over here."

The man walked forewards smoothly, long black hair swept behind his shoulders. He was wearing a plain white shirt and jeans, with his hands tucked loosely into the pockets. The boys frowned; the man looked nothing at all like their current manager. In fact, everything was the complete opposite. Jiraiya, noticing their confused looks, explained. "He takes after mum, I take after dad." They nodded, still trying to make out some similarities between the two men.

"I've got it!" Naruto burst out, proud with his discovery, "they're the same height!" he grinned at his friends, who looked at him with bemused expressions.

"Well," he began, clearing his throat. "I guess I'm your new manager. Orochimaru Sannin, pleased to meet you," He attempted a smile, but only succeeded in twisting his features into an uninviting sneer, "Jiraiya will still be around occasionally of course, to," he paused, saying the next part with audible distaste, "Check up on me." He finished up with a sideways glance at his brother.

"Who knows, maybe he'll even be able to beat some manners into you." Jiraiya grinned again, this time strained as he bared his teeth at the boys.

"My pleasure," Orochimaru answered smoothly, even as Jiraiya reconsidered his last comment,

"Actually, that's too much to ask of anyone, even you." There was a slight silence, before Jiraiya broke into a watery smile, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

"Well boys, I think that's all for today." Tears leaked down his chiselled cheeks, tracing the red marks that adorned his face. Pulling them all into a hug, even though the twins protested at the close contact, he crushed them all together before speaking. "I'll miss you guys. Behave, alright?" a fatherly smile spread over his face, "I'm proud of you."

"Bye," they all mumbled, trying to wriggle out of his grasp as he made no move to release them. "You can let go any time soon, old man," Naruto said into his chest, struggling to breathe. He let go reluctantly and they all turned, heading for the door, each turning around and calling a farewell before exiting.

As they stepped into the hall, Naruto started walking straight towards the main doors when he was prodded twice in the back. He turned, frowning slightly at the two twins, identical smiles plastered across their identical faces as they motioned the receptionist's desk. He sighed and changed direction.

"Hey," he said to the dark haired girl, smiling slightly.

"Um… hi," she said shyly. Rubbing the back of his head, the smile spread into a grin.

"Yeah, I just wanted to apologize for earlier…" he squinted to read the name tag, leaning over slightly in the process, "Hinata!" He finished. He frowned slightly at the name, as if remembering something. He straightened up to find the girl blushing, a hand lightly covering her chest. He rubbed the back of his head again,

"Ah- sorry," he said with an uneasy grin, "it's fun terrorizing new people, I'm not normally like that…" he trailed off, turning back towards his friends who were now standing by the door.

_Hinata… I recognize that name from somewhere…Hinata…_

He stopped suddenly turning back to the girl,

"Wait a second, Hinata? You mean like, Hyuuga Hinata, Neji's cousin?" She blushed, yet again. He remembered that now, how almost every time he talked to her she had blushed.

"Y-you remember me, Naruto…Naruto-kun?" He frowned slightly at the use of the suffix but decided to let it slide, instead grinning at the surprised look on her face.

"'Course!" he grinned again. Heading for the door again, calling over his shoulder, "See you around then, Hinata!" He imagined her blushing, yet again, but the memories didn't bring a smile to his face, in fact, the grin dropped from his face like a rock as soon as he left the building.

Once he was in the car with his friends, the frown he had been suppressing earlier returned to his features. "Have to get her moved…" he muttered to himself quietly. Yuri, overhearing, was confused.

"Hey, what's wrong with the new girl?" he questioned his friend. This had happened before, and he still didn't know why. He wasn't expecting an answer, so when he did he was more than surprised.

"I knew her… before." The answer was simple and it didn't explain a lot of things the dark haired boy wanted to know. Yes, he knew her before, but before _what_?

However, Yuri was not one to pry, and decided to leave it be. Naruto would tell him in his own time, if he decided to trust him. For now, they would have to let him be and do what he wanted. When they got home, the boy made a few phone calls and the next time they went in to the recording studio, there was another girl seated behind the monstrous desk.

Hyuuga Hinata had been relocated to a different building, with no spoken explanations, but she guessed the reason all the same.

_Why won't you speak to us, Naruto-kun?_


	3. Complications

**Title: **FOX

**Chapter: **3 - Complications

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**Notes:** My reviewers are my new best friends – they make me happy. I love you guys who review! Also, I'm sorry this is such a short chapter, but I ran out of inspiration about half way through. I went back and tried to make it longer and everything but it didn't really work, sorry!

**Disclaimer: **They're mine! All mine :scary evil laugh:

* * *

A window opened slowly on the third floor of the block of flats, letting in a beam of light from the streetlamp outside. As the hinges creaked slightly, the man perched on the window sill cursed in a low whisper that would have been inaudible to anyone but the man himself, had there been anyone else there to hear it. He peered through the crack in the curtains, surveying his surroundings with cold eyes. 

The room was tidy, the shelves in order and the books on the desk in a neat pile. The bed was located at the opposite side of the room to the door, in the middle of the wall. Sasuke obviously didn't like anything remotely enclosing; he had been paranoid ever since the massacre of his family by his own brother's hand. Next to the bed was a small table, with an alarm clock and a lamp on it. The glowing green digits on the clock face cast a slight greenish tint over the sleeping face, which was immediately overthrown by the beam of yellow light permeating the room from the outside.

The man winced as the boy stirred in his sleep, woken up slightly by the change in the light. He rolled over so that his back was to the window, clutching the dark duvet to his chin with one hand, whilst the other flopped over the side of the bed. He burrowed his face deeper into the also dark pillow, mumbling something unintelligible to himself in his sleep, whilst a slight frown creased his smooth forehead.

The man climbed through the window, briefly letting more light in as he pushed through the curtains, before he let the sheet of material fall, and the room was encased in darkness once more. He crossed the room to stand in the corner; a dark form, faceless in the shadows. Dark haired, dark clothed, dark eyed; much the same as the sleeping boy he was watching.

Uchiha Sasuke had no idea that his brother was watching him. He had no idea that he was contemplating various ways to kill him. He didn't know that the man's fingers were twitching, resisting the urge to throttle him at that very instant, though trying his best to resist the temptation at the same time, reminding himself to think about the plan. He did not know what 'the plan' was. Although the sleeping boy was unaware of these things, he _did_ know that an aura of killer intent was flooding his room, entering his subconscious thoughts and causing him to dream of things he would much rather have left forgotten.

Muscles moved under the smooth pale skin that covered the slender arm loosely draped over the side of the bed. He brought it up the lie flat against his chest, the hand, which was now clenched in a fist, resting underneath his chin. It was the physical response to the horrors he was dreaming of; things he though he had gotten over long ago.

'A-Aniki… why are you doing this? Why did you kill mum and dad?' Itachi's eyes lit up as he realized his brother was remembering the death of his parents. "Please don't kill me, Itachi!" He twisted the corner of his mouth into a smirk, deciding to leave the boy for tonight. The urge to kill him was almost too much to bear when he was lying there, begging him not to. He would leave him to suffer the pain of what _had_ been for now; there was time, after all, to cause more suffering.

Time which could now be used very _creatively_, thinking of a method to kill his little brother; a method that would cause him much pain. After all, the Uchiha clan had to have a good finale. He would kill him later, and for now simply give himself time to think.

* * *

Hours later, Sasuke sat up in bed, his hair sticking up messily at the back, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He looked around the room trying to locate the source of the annoying noise that had roused him from his slumber. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, before realizing that it was his alarm clock, conveniently situated on the other side of the bed. He flopped backwards, and stretched his arm backwards as far as he could reach, his fingertips brushing over the edge of the offending object. He scowled, shuffling backwards slightly and managed to press the button. He let his arm drop, and stayed in the very _un-_Uchiha like pose, as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes. 

He yawned, stretching liberally and knocking the clock off the table. Scowling, he picked himself up off the bed and began to get dressed, unsuccessfully trying to ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach. Was it just him, or was there really somebody in his room watching him sleep last night? And why had he dreamt of his parent's death _now_ of all times, when he hadn't done so for years.

A slight frown marred his handsome features, and he decided to leave the thinking for later when he was properly awake; it was too much for just now.

Pulling a shirt over his head he pushed open the door and walked down the hall towards the kitchen, his footsteps sounding throughout the hall, the soft sound of bare skin on wood. As he reached for the door handle, the door crashed open causing him to slam into the opposite wall. The pink haired girl whom he shared the apartment with ran in the opposite direction down the hall, towards the room he had just vacated.

"Sasuke-kun! Where are you Sasuke?" she opened the door, looking around for the raven. When she didn't see him, she promptly burst into tears, letting loose the emotions she had been suppressing before in a hysterical outburst.

"Sasuke-kun!" she said, her voice thick as she choked back sobs. She collapsed into the door frame, trying to keep her frantic voice as quiet as possible "He's gone! Sasuke!"

The boy picked himself up from the floor, leaning against the wall for support as he made his way slowly back down the hall, wincing slightly as he rotated the shoulder that had been slammed against the wall. His whole right side still tingled with the impact; he only hoped it wouldn't bruise.

"I'm right here, Sakura," he said quietly as he walked up behind her, not wanting to surprise the panic-stricken girl. "What happened?" The pink head turned quickly, and she took the few steps to reach him, before enveloping him in a suffocating hug.

"Sasuke-kun!" she cried ecstatically, squeezing his chest until he found it hard to breathe. She was much stronger than she let on, and with his arms wedged tightly against his sides there was no way to make her let go.

"Sakura, what happened?" he repeated in a strained voice as he struggled to take in air.

The smile dropped from her face, and she continued in a sombre voice, repeating what she had heard on the news only moments before. "Naruto was kidnapped," she said, her voice hollow. Sasuke was sure he'd heard her wrong; it had been so long, why now?

"What did you say?"

"Naruto was kidnapped," the girl repeated, looking up at him with red-rimmed eyes. The raven shook his head incredulously.

"Either that, or he ran away. The other band members were on the news just now; they don't know where he is." Sasuke stilled suddenly, linking this with the presence in his room last night. Knowing he hadn't imagined it, and realizing that the two coinciding events meant only one thing.

"Akatsuki," Sasuke whispered softly, before shaking his head angrily. "What the fuck does Akatsuki want with Naruto?" He almost shouted, shaking with anger. The sadness in Sakura's emerald green eyes was joined by confusion.

"Sasuke-kun, what's Akatsuki?" she asked, her curiosity aroused by the effect his discovery had had on him. Sasuke looked at her with emotionless eyes, his face schooled into a blank mask. She looked up at his face and shivered; this was the boy that had shown up on her doorstep three years previously. It had taken so long for her to get him to open up, she was afraid she was losing him again. He blinked slowly, before speaking.

"It's a long story." His voice sounded monotonously through the room, the words bringing no emotion with them at all. She clung to him, hoping that the contact would bring him back.

* * *

"He wouldn't just _leave_ us!" 

An angry tear leaked down the tanned cheek as Izumi held his head in his hands. Beside him, Kei stroked his honey-brown hair comfortingly, an identical expression of grief on his face, whilst Yuri sat across from them in a similar state. Though he showed no obvious emotion now, there were tear tracks down his cheeks and bags under his eyes which showed that not long ago he too had been crying.

"I know." He said slowly, suppressed emotions shaking his voice.

"He would have at least left a _note_ if he was leaving. Wouldn't he?" the other boys nodded, grief stealing all other emotions from their faces, wishing he would shut up so they didn't have to think about it, but neither had the heart to tell him. Kei and Yuri's gazes met in a brief moment of understanding, they were all worried for the missing blonde, and they had to try their best to help each other through this, try their best to get along.

There was a cough as a tall uniformed man emerged from a door leading off the corridor. The stern look on his face softened slightly when he saw the grief-stricken looks on all of the boy's faces.

"I need to take your statements now." He said softly, "who's coming first?"

"I will." Izumi said, tears still running down his now puffy cheeks even as he stood. "I need to get this over with." The police officer coughed nervously, something which didn't seem right on his imposing figure, and something which did little to console the boys.

"Would you like some time to…" he paused, not quite sure how to phrase it, "calm down?" The boy glared, replying in an angry voice.

"I'm fucking _fine_. I'm perfectly capable of doing my statement; I _need_ to get this over with. I can't keep thinking about it over and over again." He paused, trying his best not to break down and completely contradict his statement, "I_ need_ to." He repeated softly, his breathing now coming raggedly in short bursts. The man sighed, not wanting to argue with someone so clearly distressed.

"All right then, if you'd step this way please." He retreated into the white tiled room, holding the door open for the boy that followed and giving the two still waiting a glimpse of a plain room with nothing but a desk and three chairs, before it slammed shut again.

Outside the room, the other boys let out a relieved breath that they hardly realized they had been holding in the first place. As much as they wanted to help the missing blonde in any way they possibly could, neither of them had wanted to talk to the imposing officer first.

They looked at each other sombrely, the same thoughts of a certain young man whom they had both grown to love as a brother flashing through their minds. _Where are you, Naruto?_

After what seemed like an age, the door creaked open again and the police officer re-emerged, his face much greyer than last time they had seen him, and a worried frown upon his face. They wondered what had happened to make him this way.

"I need both of you in here, now." He barked in an army-like voice, obviously using his brusqueness to hide his discomfort. The boys looked at each other uneasily before following him into the room, each perching on the edge of a hard wooden chair.

The officer crossed to the other side of the desk, sitting down on his own chair (which the boys all noticed looked considerably more comfortable than the ones they had been offered) and pressing his fingers together in a steeple shape in front of his face, before letting them fall and drumming them worriedly on the desk.

"Now, can you tell me what happened immediately before these," he cleared his throat, "'attacks' started?"


	4. Why Not

**Title: **FOX

**Chapter: **4 – Why Not

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**Notes:** Spell checker has caveman grammar 'he found himself gazing into the depths of he eyes'. I don't think so! lol.

**Disclaimer: **:hides sack behind back: I _so_ didn't kidnap them, definitely not me…

* * *

_Flashback – 11 years ago_

Umino Iruka smiled contentedly. He loved Monday mornings, despite the fact that he had to get up early to head into the school, it was bliss to teach a class that didn't spend the whole hour and ten minutes that was History class chatting, calling out stupid comments and generally not paying attention. Then again, it wasn't like _this_ class was actually taking in any of what he was saying, they were all just tired, but it was much preferable to have a _quiet_ class that wasn't pay attention than a loud one.

The only sounds were that of the teacher's voice, the occasional stifled yawn, the scratch of pencil on paper as a few of the students took notes, and the tittering of a large group of girls seated on the second and third rows. He heard snatches of their conversation, most of it about a raven-haired boy seated in the row in front of them; he was the sole survivor of one of the most eligible families in Konoha. Though he was an orphan and lived with one of the teachers at the school, nearly all of the girls still swooned over his dark good looks and calm, collected behaviour. Iruka cleared his throat and gave the girls a warning glare, before continuing, relishing in the short silence that lasted before they started up again.

Uchiha Sasuke, the object of their affections, twisted in his seat once again to look at the boy at the back of the class. Iruka had noticed him turning around at least three times since the beginning of the class to look at the boy, they were only fleeting glances, and he had turned back to the front almost immediately, but this time he stayed facing the other way much longer, taking in his appearance. The boy was slumped against the desk, head buried in his arms, neither looking or listening to the teacher. The three seats on the bench next to him were empty, as the boy had no friends. It was this that the young raven was wondering about.

A slight frown creased the boy's face and his dark eyes showed concern for his classmate. Over the course of the year, he had been paying more attention to his surroundings and couldn't help but notice the blonde's solidarity and loneliness. The question was why? It was quite clear that the boy didn't want it that way, if the longing glances he gave to groups of friends, before moving away to sit by himself, were anything to go by. Sighing, he turned back to the front, waiting a bit, before turning back again.

Iruka, still standing at the front of the room, scanned the faces of his class as he lectured, looking around to see who was or was not paying attention. Starting at the back, he noticed that Naruto was in his usual position. His foster child had his head down and didn't appear to be listening; however the man knew there was no point reprimanding him, as he had done in the past. All that resulted of that was that later, when they returned home, the blonde whined at him for being unfair and always picking on him, though he did nothing of the sort, and then went on to explain everything that the man had said during the course of the lesson, proving that he _had_ in fact been listening. The boy also did fairly well in all his tests, he was near the middle of the class in terms of ranking, and though Iruka knew he had the potential to be right up at the top, nothing he said or did would change the fact that the boy had nothing whatsoever to motivate him. Sure, Iruka liked to think of himself as the boy's father, but nothing could change the fact that the boy regarded him as more of a big brother and best friend than that, and the absence of a mother did not go unnoticed.

He sighed, and began to look over the rows in front, still lecturing at a steady pace. He had memorized this speech many years ago, and he no longer had to think about what he was saying. Moving forwards, most of the students were at least _pretending_ to pay attention. Sighing, he decided to compromise. At least they were pretending, it would have to do. He continued to scan the rows, until he focussed on one of the students seated in the middle of the front row. From where he was standing, Iruka had a very nice view of the _back _of the boy's head; unfortunately it was his face that he wanted to see. Following his gaze, he realised that he was once again looking at his adoptive son, and smiled despite himself. Maybe Naruto would finally make some friends at this school; however, misbehaviour could not go unnoticed. Clearing the smile from his face, he strode over to the desk the raven was sitting at.

"Uchiha Sasuke," the boy's head snapped round to face the teacher at the mention of his name, "is Uzumaki Naruto's face more interesting than my lesson?" he realized as soon as he said it that he should have left it at just 'Uzumaki Naruto', seeing as the Uchiha couldn't actually see his face at all. He looked sternly down at the young boy, who even at this young age had fully mastered the icy glare that so many people from his family had possessed. Iruka suppressed a shiver; even though he was so young, his glare was one of the coldest he had seen, almost equalling that of his older brother Itachi, and everybody knew what _he_ had gone on to do.

Fixing said look on his teacher, he replied coolly, as if totally in control of the situation. "Not that I can actually see it, but I'm sure it is." He glanced over his shoulder again, slyly, to see how the exchange was affecting the object of his discussion, completely ignoring sighs of 'Sasuke-kun is _so cool!_' coming from the fangirls situated behind him.

The boy had looked up, and his expression was now a mixture of confusion and anger. Sasuke's face remained emotionless, where had the anger come from? However, he couldn't resist a smirk at the emotions running freely across his face. He was so easy to read, more like a picture book for four year olds than anyone else he had ever seen. Sasuke found himself gazing into the depths of the boy's startling blue eyes and turned back to the front. Besides not wanting to be scolded twice in one lesson (once was more than enough) he was slightly disturbed by the depth of the loneliness he had seen in those eyes. Deciding to speak to the boy as soon as the lesson was over, he looked up at the clock suspended above his teachers head; only ten more minutes until the bell rang. Sasuke began to tap his pen lid against his desk, he was _not_ a patient person, and ten minutes was too long to wait.

Only a minute had passed when Sasuke glanced up at the clock again; it was now that his impatience _really_ showed. A scowl fixed itself on his face and the pen tapping sped up a bit. He didn't understand how it could only be one minute, when it had felt like an age.

Iruka couldn't help but notice the boy looking at the clock repeatedly. Every time he did so, the speed of the pen tapping on the desk grew; tch, impatience, he thought with an inward smirk. After seven minutes of incessant tapping, Iruka was getting used to it and was slightly surprised when it stopped. He looked over at the desk to find the two boys that were sitting either side of the Uchiha glaring at him with undisguised annoyance. It seemed the tapping had not gone unnoticed; even his fangirls showed slight irritation, something that was surprising, as _everything_ the great Uchiha Sasuke did seemed to be perfect in their opinion.

Finally, the bell rang and Sasuke packed his books into his bag as fast as he could before standing and looking around the room. The blonde was gone; it appeared he was even faster at putting books in his bag than Sasuke was. The Uchiha frowned slightly, whilst walking out of the classroom. He could have sworn that the blonde was always one of the last to leave the lesson, which meant one of two things. Either the boy had something important to do, or he was intentionally avoiding the dark haired Uchiha. Sasuke chose the latter, deeming the first unlikely due to the boy's lack of friends.

Entering the hallway, the raven scanned his surroundings; again, the blonde was nowhere to be seen. Sasuke sighed and strode down the corridor; resigned to the fact that he would have to catch him in the next lesson – he was lucky their timetables matched up quite often. As he turned the corner, he caught a flash of yellow that could only be the distinctive blonde hair belonging to the boy he had been seeking.

"Naruto!" he called. The boy looked up worriedly, realizing he had been found, and immediately running down the corridor, trying to evade the other students as he went, ignoring the insults thrown at him, and occasionally crashing into an unsuspected student, in which case the insult was shouted.

Sighing, the raven he headed for the lunch hall, reverting back to his earlier plan of catching him in the next lesson, he wasn't going to chase the boy because Uchiha's _do not run_. He sat down at his table, keeping his head down so as to avoid the gazes of his fan club, who sat at the table opposite him. He was embarrassed by the girls; not only for himself but for them as well. They must be desperate to put on such a public display of affection every time he showed up, even when he so clearly rejected them every time – they probably did it even when he wasn't there. Of course, none of this embarrassment showed on his face; he _was_ an Uchiha, after all.

* * *

As the bell rang for the next period, Sasuke stood up slowly. He had to get there after Naruto, or the blonde would be able to sit somewhere else when he saw the other boy. He sauntered slowly down the hall, completely ignoring the other students rushing to other lessons, and the hungry gazes of the fan club that was following him. 

As he entered the classroom, the blonde was hard to miss, but as Sasuke headed for the seat next to him, the other noticed his presence. He scowled slightly, picking up his bag from the floor and dumping it onto the seat next to him. Sasuke sighed – if he was insisting on being antisocial he would just have to try his best and hoped it worked.

He settled in the seat next to the bag, getting out his books for the lesson and looking curiously at the boy, who now had his head resting on his arms again, as usual, stubbornly facing away from the raven. When he didn't go away, he sat up, turning to him.

"What do you want?" he spat, bitterly, a scowl marring his features.

Sasuke frowned at the emotion in the other boy's voice, taken aback slightly by the vehemence with which the four words were uttered.

"Why are you always on your own?" he asked softly. The boy stared. From close up, Sasuke could depict more of the emotions present in the blue orbs than he had been able to from as distance. As well as the hint of loneliness Sasuke had seen before, there was also pain and longing.

"Why do you think?" the boy replied, "Nobody wants me." Sasuke frowned again – this was news to him.

"Well, personally I don't know anything about that. I don't know you, how can I judge you without talking to you first?" at this question, the boy stared incredulously.

"Don't you know _anything_?" Sasuke shook his head wearily; he was getting tired of this conversation.

"I can't say I have any idea what you're getting at." The blonde grinned slightly – the first positive reaction the boy had given him since he had started talking to him. Sasuke quelled his sense of triumph, it was only the beginning. The boy was looking at him again, and amongst the other emotions, there was now a sense of hopefulness.

"Well, if you don't know I'm not gonna tell you. Friends?" he asked, shyly, tentatively extending a hand for Sasuke to shake.

"Why not." He said with a small smile of his own, accepting the offered hand, and taking in the other boy's smile with a sense of achievement. It was strange to be calling him his friend when he had barely met him. Friends were a foreign concept to him; sure, he was popular, but he'd never sat down and talked to any of the people who idolized and admired him.

The other boy looked down at his bag on the seat, an apologetic grin on his face as he murmured an apology and moved it onto the floor. Sasuke moved over and leaned onto the desk, facing his new friend, and intent on finding out more about him.

When the grey haired teacher walked in and saw the two boys sitting together, talking comfortably in each other's comfortably, he smiled and paused on his way to his desk. It seemed Iruka was right. The two respective teacher's adoptive 'sons' had finally found a friend in each other; Kakashi thought it was fitting, considering the two boy's similar situations.

A smile crossed his face, though it went unseen underneath his mask. That was one less thing to worry about.


	5. The Broadcast

**Title: **FOX

**Chapter: **5 – The Video

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**Notes:** Um, I reckon this is probably about the last chapter I can write before I go away for a week, but I'll write for you while I'm there so I can post when I get back, but then again, have any of you noticed how when I say I wont be able to write much, I post a chapter like five minutes after? lol. If you look at the A/N on the first chapter it says 'I'll probably post about once a week', well I'm up to chapter five right now, and it most definitely has _not_ been 5 weeks – it's cos I'm addicted to your reviews. Anyway, after that it says 'I'm really behind cos I have exams', well, when I was supposed to be revising, guess what I was doing? Begins with w and ends with riting, so I still updated then. Knowing me I'll be up to chapter 8 or something by the weekend. Probably only 7 actually, but I _have_ already written chapter 6.

I apologize for the freakishly long A/Ns, I just love talking to you guys… even though… you're not here to respond. IS IT A CRIME!?

**More back story mistakes:** I just realized that Sasuke left when he was 12, and him and Naru were in a relationship _before_ that so yeah. They were 11 year olds kissing on the sofa. I mean, you know kids these days, getting wayy too far ahead of themselves… :cough: Tch, now I wish I wasn't updating so I could just go on blissfully unaware. Oh well, I love Kiba (and that makes everything better).

**Disclaimer:** Do you think K. Masashi would trade Naruto with me for my raspberry jelly? Maybe even Sasuke too if I throw in the summer fruits… :schemes:

* * *

The news reporter shuffled her papers on the desk in front of her, tucking a stray strand of her dark hair behind her ear before continuing in a steady but somber voice. 

'_Now, the latest updates on the abduction of Uzumaki Naruto.'_

The plain white screen emblazoned with the news company's logo switched to an old photo of said blonde, she cleared her throat, and continued.

'_Over to you, Ino.'_

'_Thank you, Yui. As I expect most of you out there know, two days ago we were informed of the kidnapping of Uzumaki Naruto, lead singer of the hit band 'Fox' by his distraught teammates. Since then, we have been updating you regularly on the situation. Earlier today, TN (1) News received video footage from the kidnappers. The police have, as of yet, been unable to trace the video, but they are working on the case as we speak.'_

The blonde took a deep breath to calm herself, and Sasuke frowned even more than he had been before. Ino had always been confident, it was no surprise to any that knew her that she was now the main reporter for the biggest news company in the country, but now she was having to calm herself down, live on national TV.

'_Having already watched this video myself, I feel that I have to apologize and warn you in advance for the nature of this footage, but we feel we have no choice but to air it. If you have young children, or do not wish to see… If you are uncomfortable with…'_

The girl was having trouble finding the right words. She took a deep breath and started again, pain evident in her blue eyes.

'_This footage contains extreme violence, but if we refuse air it today, the kidnappers are threatening to kill Naruto. Again, if you have young children or do not wish to see something of this nature, we advise that you turn your television off now."_

Sasuke stared fixatedly at the screen as it flickered, before dimming into a view of a dark room. Slightly off centre was a young man tied at the wrists and ankles and gagged with a length of thick sacking. His hair was matted with dirt, appearing almost brown, the bright blonde colour it normally was almost invisible beneath it. His clothes were torn, and like the rest of him coated in a layer of dust. He was now painfully thin, it was evident to anybody that was watching that he was _not_ being looked after at all, it was easy to believe that he hadn't eaten in the three days he had been gone.

As Sasuke was taking the scene in, a tall man dressed entirely in black moved into the picture. He was masked, and none of his skin showed at all, but Sasuke recognized the way the man moved. It was Orochimaru.

As the man's footsteps sounded throughout the room, Naruto looked up. His eyes bore a resigned look, it was obvious that whatever was going to happen had happened before, but the hurt was still evident even though the grainy image. His face was even more pale and drawn then the last photos of him before he had gone into hiding, now streaked with dirt and with dark shadows under his eyes.

He didn't even struggle as the man grabbed the collar of his shirt and hauled him up to face him, suggesting that he was either used to it, or too tired to react. He whispered something into the blonde's ear, something that finally jolted a reaction out of the blonde. He slowly turned to face the camera; the viewers could only guess he had been told where this video was headed, and that fact that there was a camera in the room at all. His eyes widened slightly and he started to protest, weakly flailing his arms in the general direction of his captor. Sasuke could imagine the dark haired man sneering behind his mask; he loved torturing people like this. He began to yell at the camera, though his voice was weak.

'_Don't come get me_' he repeated over and over, his voice hoarse, presumably from yelling earlier. Still holding the boy up with one hand, the man drew back his other arm and punched him full in the face. Blood began to flow from his nose; it was obvious to anyone still watching that it was broken. Though there was nothing Sasuke would rather see less than his ex-best friend, his ex-_lover_ being abused like this, he couldn't help but watch as the boy drew in a shaky breath, trying to speak.

'_O-oro…'_ the man slapped him round the face again, with enough force to cause the blonde's head to snap back suddenly. Throwing him against the wall disgustedly, he kicked him for good measure, hitting the exact spot where, Sasuke now noticed, there were muddy bandages wrapped around his torso. The raven hissed as fresh blood bloomed onto the off-white material, staining it red.

'_Don't say my name.'_ he hissed at the now unconscious blonde. He stood for a moment, considering kicking him again, before turning and walking away, off screen. A harsh, crackly laugh was heard, much louder than the rest of the conversation. It obviously came from whoever was holding the camera, and Sasuke _thought _he recognized it as his brother's laugh. Then again, when did Itachi ever laugh? There was a hint of some conversation in the background which the microphone on the camera didn't quite pick up – it was obviously very bad quality, picked up at the last minute for this purpose alone.

The image on screen flickered to a slightly different angle, the small white numbers in the bottom right hand corner of the screen showing that it was several hours after the first clip. You could now see a small barred window, letting in the minimal amount of light in the room. Sasuke recognized it now; it seemed rather tactless that they were using the same base when they _knew_ Sasuke would easily recognize it; unless that was their plan?

Sasuke shook his head and turned back to the screen. It was almost definitely a plan. Akatsuki was not careless at all, which meant that he would just have to keep watching out for any clues. They would probably reveal what was happening to his once friend, when they thought it was too late for Sasuke to be able to help him.

It hurt to have to say that in the past tense.

A tinny shout was emitted from the speakers, and Sasuke focused on the screen once again. The boy was now writhing on the floor, screaming at himself. Either this was much, much worse than he could ever have imagined or they were just making it out to be. He clung to the hope that it was the latter; surely Akatsuki couldn't be _that_ cruel? As soon as he had thought the thought, Sasuke grimaced. Of course they could, now all he could do was hope.

As the camera man moved closer, some of what the boy was saying could be heard, though it was faint and many of the words were lost in a crackle of static.

'_No, shut up you __**won't**__ win, I won't let you! … I've already won, don't try to fight it…No! No, no, no, go away!'_

Sasuke almost let out a sigh of relief, though considering the circumstances it was hardly appropriate – he had narrowed it down to two options, neither of which were good. He crossed his fingers, hoping that the boy wouldn't utter that one sentence that would make all the difference.

His prayers weren't answered.

_'Keep the **fuck**__out of my mnd, you damn fox!'_

* * *

Inuzuka Kiba scowled as his phone rang, he dragged himself up of his sofa and slouched across the room to answer it, carefully making his way around numerous piles of rubbish, dirty laundry and God knows what else.

"Did you watch the news?" he frowned, running his hand over his chin, trying to place the urgent voice.

"Uchiha?" he asked unsurely. A groan could be heard from the other end of the line.

"_Yes. _But did you watch the news?" he frowned, _what the fuck could be on the news that I'd be interested in? Uchiha should know I'm not the news-watching type._ He voiced his thoughts exactly as he thought them, only replacing the 'Uchiha' with 'you'.

"What the fuck have you been doing the last three days?" the brunette frowned again, it must be pretty serious if Sasuke was swearing at him already; usually it took at least a few minutes for irritation to kick in, then again, he could have changed drastically in the five or so years since he had seen him last.

"Hibernating," the single word was muttered grumpily, a thousand complaints evident in his voice.

"You mean you don't know?" his frown deepened; first Sasuke called him, disturbing his nap, _then_ the bastard was swearing at him, and _now_ he was asking him about things he clearly had no idea about. To top it off, he hadn't talked to the guy in years, where was the 'how are you?'s and the 'what have you been doing?'s.

"Know _what_?"

"Well, you know things have been going a bit wrong with him recently?" he nodded, assuming the guy was talking about Naruto, then waited, before realizing that the other couldn't _see_ the nod through the phone.

"Yeah, what about it? It doesn't seem that serious, he'll probably get over it in a few weeks. Why are you calling me _now_ anyway?"

"He was kidnapped. And it's a lot more serious than we thought."

"No fucking way, who did it?" he asked, shocked, before realizing how stupid that question was; he could almost hear the scowl from where he was standing.

"If the police knew, do you think he'd still be missing? We need to meet up, call the others, I lost their numbers a while ago, well apart from Sakura."

"The others as in who?" he asked, suddenly a lot more awake than he had been five minutes ago.

"Hinata, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji…" he trailed off, thinking hard, "That lot. You should probably call Iruka too, they were pretty close."

"Yeah alright, when and where?" Sasuke thought about it for a moment before answering.

"How about Ichiraku's? For old times' sake. Does tomorrow sound good, cos I really need to talk to everyone. Kakashi's a police officer, right? Him especially."

"Yep, I'm pretty sure he's a police officer, if my memory serves me well." He frowned slightly, trying to make sure he _was _remembering things correctly before continuing, "and tomorrows cool for me, I haven't had anything planned for a long time, not so sure about the others though, 'specially Ino. She's pretty busy now, what with her new job and everything. You know about that right?"

"Yeah, she's the one who had to cover the story." The only thing Kiba could think of to say to that was shit. So he did.

At his end of the line, Sasuke smirked.

"Pretty much. Anyway, tell them I _think_ I know how to get to him. That should get them to come, don't you think?"

"Yeah, so lunch time, right? About one-ish? I'll try to get hold of all of them for you."

"Yeah thanks for helping out Kiba. I guess I owe you."

"Not if you can help Naruto you don't." he said quickly, before hanging up and moving back towards the sofa, phone still gripped in one hand whilst flipping through his address book and punching in numbers frantically; a serious expression on his face for what was possibly the first time in his life.

* * *

**1. **_You'll never guess what that stands for, bitch! No seriously, it's 'The News'. TN News The News News. Whatever, like I care. TN sounds impressive :nods:_


	6. It's Such a Nice Day!

**Title: **FOX

**Chapter: **6 – Nice Day

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**Notes:** Neh they're so cuuute together!

**Update: **The band members have names:trumpet sounds: and yeah, sorry to anybody that thought of some cos I completely ignored you after all and thought of them myself. Sorry, lol!

**Back story mistakes: **Yeah I said this in the last chapter but just in case you didn't read it, I messed up my back story a bit and apparently in this scene they're like 11-12. Lol yeah, but I'm way too lazy to change it so like I said before, you know kids these days, always getting ahead of themselves. And um, for the whole Sakura and everyone being there like, down the corridor and shit, its cos they're on a… um… _residential field trip_! Oh yeah, I'm just so full of ideas. Ahem…

**P.S. **Okay scrap that, this is just _wrong_ for two twelve-year-olds to be doing. I should probably change it but yeah, I guess he could spend a _little_ less time with Akatsuki, but then his whole speech thing in the next chapter or something won't work. Ah well, we'll just have to put up with two hormonal twelve year olds, and pretend they're older… :sigh: this is what happens when you don't plan properly everyone, learn from my mistakes!

**P.P.S.** Forget not planning properly, this whole chapter was completely off plan. I guess I should write a new one now, but you know, I just couldn't resist a bit of NaruSasu goodness, ya know? Cos it takes sooo long for them to meet up in the story, didn't want to make you all impatient, yeah:coughexcusescough:

**Apology: **Woah, this is a _lot_ of A/N type stuff, and this is hardly making it any shorter – sorry!

**Disclaimer:** If Naruto was mine, this would happen a whole lot more, and it would be on much, _much_ later.

* * *

_Flashback – 8 years ago _

Sasuke looked over at the sleeping form sprawled across his bed. The boy slept with his lips slightly parted and an arm thrown above his head. The raven sighed longingly, before dragging his gaze reluctantly away from the sleeping blonde, and looking out of the window, trying desperately to direct his thoughts _away_ from Naruto.

They had been dragged out on a school field trip for a whole week, to look at animal habitats and adaptations. The whole class had been opposed to it, but when their parents (or guardians) had seen the letters, they sent them off quickly. The only thing that consoled Sasuke was the fact that he was able to share a room with the blonde for the whole period of time, though the temptation was proving harder to resist than he had first thought.

_The trees are nice today… _he thought, forcing a smile as he though. _The sun is shining, and the birds are singing. It's such a nice day._ The fake smile gave way to a scowl, even thinking things like this made him feel idiotic. At the break in his concentration, his thoughts had veered back towards the blonde; he frantically started up a chant inside his head. _Nice day, nice day, nice day, nice day. The trees are nice the sun is shining. Nice day, nice day, nice day-_

"Sa…Sasuke…" the Uchiha's head snapped around to look at the blonde again. He could have sworn he'd heard the blonde say his name, and he was still sleeping, so did that mean that he was _dreaming _about him? "Sasu…" There was no doubt about it; and with this new distraction, Sasuke gave up trying to think about the weather – it was impossible when the man he loved was talking to him in his sleep. Longing overtook his actions as he stood and crossed the room towards the other boy. _He's still asleep, and when am I ever going to get a chance like this again?_

Sasuke bent over the sleeping boy, admiring the flawless tanned skin at a much closer range than he was used to, before brushing his lips over the others experimentally. They were surprisingly soft, and Sasuke found that he liked it, a_ lot_. The raven studied the other boy's face intently for any signs of him waking up. As he continued to sleep, he gained confidence, this time pushing his lips down harder, slipping his tongue softly into the already open mouth. As he began to explore the uncharted territory he felt a slight flutter against his cheek and the steady rhythm of breathing that told him the boy was sleeping changed, now coming faster. He felt heat rush to his face in embarrassment as he realized that Naruto had woken up, whilst he was kissing him in his sleep.

He began to pull away, his face flushed an unflattering shade of red, when the other sat up with him and began to kiss him back hungrily. The raven involuntarily let loose a deep throated moan as the blonde wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him back down on top of him.

"Don't stop, Sasuke," he panted breathlessly in between kisses, once again granting entrance as soon as Sasuke even thought of running his tongue along the seam of the soft pink lips. The blonde's hands wandered down from around the other boy's neck along his spine to the bottom of his shirt, frustratedly trying to find the space where the fabric came away from his skin. He broke away from the kiss briefly, so that he could see what he was doing, but quickly joined their mouths together again as soon as he succeeded in getting his hands underneath the thin fabric. As he ran his hands up and down the slender body, relishing the feel of the smooth skin beneath his hands, Sasuke bit back another moan. He didn't want to make too much noise, and risk his classmates hearing them; though moaning was the only thing he wanted to do right now, besides kissing Naruto, of course.

He reluctantly broke away from the kiss, sitting up as he straddled the blonde's waist, a satisfied smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. The blonde's azure gaze was firmly fixed on his mouth, longing clearly showing on his face. "Why did you stop?" he pouted sulkily. As Sasuke looked at the cute expression, a new burst of longing ran through his veins, and it took all the self-restraint the raven possessed to stop him molesting the blonde then and there.

"Naruto?" he asked. The blonde dragged his gaze upwards from his lips to his eyes, the difficulty of the action evident in his eyes. Sasuke found it was much the same struggle as he had been feeling earlier, when he had been trying not to look at the boy who was now his lover, but had then been only his best friend.

"What is it, Sasuke? Couldn't it have waited until we'd finished?" he didn't bother hiding the impatience in his tone, as his gaze dropped once again from the dark gaze to the other boy's pale lips, devouring them hungrily with his eyes.

"Is this ever going to happen again? I mean, do you really like me? Or is it just a one off," the blonde frowned slightly at the dejected and slightly hurt tone in his voice.

"You decide." He said with a playful smirk. The raven bent down again, relishing in the feeling of the blonde's warm breath brushing against his cheek. He smelt like a mixture of the damp woodland they had spent almost all of the day trekking through, and ramen, which was hardly surprising, seeing as he had never seen the boy eat anything else. But beneath these two smells was another, one that was simply Naruto. They mingled together, clouding his senses with a misty sense of longing. He bent down further, his dark hair now brushing against the tanned cheek before their lips locked again.

"I guess…" Naruto tried to say in between kisses, though every time he tried to start, he interrupted himself with a moan as the other boy attacked his neck. "I guess that's a… yes then?" he finally managed to bite out, the sentence nearly unintelligible from the many breaks and pauses in it, but Sasuke understood it just fine, ceasing his attack on the neck, before engaging the other boy in yet another lip lock.

Sasuke smirked into the kiss, nibbling on the other's bottom lip and starting to enjoy himself, when a knock on the door sounded.

"Naruto? I'm coming in!" the door was thrown open and Sakura strode in as Sasuke sat up quickly. As soon as she saw the two boys together on the sofa she stopped, shocked, and not quite sure of what to make of the current situation.

"N-Naruto? Sasuke-kun?" she asked, "What's happening?"

Naruto smirked, wanting to embarrass the girl as much as possible.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Sasuke muttered, before Naruto elaborated.

"Sasuke-_kun_ decided he likes me much better than annoying fan girls, and we were just having some fun before you interrupted us. Go away, Sakura." As he said this, a pout was firmly fixed on his face at all times, causing Sasuke to marvel at the blonde's ability to do both that _and_ speak at the same time. The raven twisted around to face the girl from his position on top of the other boy, watching as heartbroken tears filled her emerald green eyes.

Though, of course, her sadness was not _really_ very funny, the circumstances made it so, and both boys had to fight the grins that were threatening to spread over their features; Naruto even having to go so far as biting his lip. As both boys watched, fascinated, the girl turned on her heel and stomp out of the room, slamming the door violently behind her.

"Three… Two… One…" Sasuke counted.

"WHAT!?" they heard a screech from down the hall that was almost definitely Ino.

"I don't believe you Sakura. We all know that Sasuke is going to fall in love with _me_ one day." There was a pause as the pink haired girl presumably said something else, "No, I'm going to check!"

Naruto smirked again. "Hey, Sasuke. Let's put on a show for Ino-chan, ok?," he said mischievously, pulling Sasuke back down for another kiss just as the door opened.

"Oh. Em. Gee."

Sasuke sat up again and twisted around to face the blonde, irritation clear on his face.

"What, Ino?" the girl backed away from him, a horrified look clear on her face. Suddenly she turned and ran, slamming the door behind her, repeating the exact actions of Sakura only minutes before. The boys rolled their eyes at each other, grinning, before reciting a statement in unison. "Fangirls are so predictable." They finished it off with an exasperated sigh, listening to Ino's hysterics just outside of the door.

"It's true! Sasuke was kissing Naruto!" she shrieked at anyone that would listen, or that was unlucky enough to pass by. "On the _sofa_!" she said this last point as if it was the worst thing in the world, far worse than the fact that they were kissing in the first place.

The two boys smirked at each other, before Sasuke broke the satisfied silence. "Shame really, would've been nice to keep it private for a while," the raven mused, now curling up against his lover's chest.

The stayed like this for a while, before Naruto asked the question he had been meaning to ask as soon as he had woken up with Sasuke's lips clamped on his own. "How long have you felt this way?"

The raven thought about it for a moment. "Since I first talked to you, I guess." He smiled slightly as he replied, "I didn't realize it really at the time though. What about you?"

Naruto smiled back, "about the same really," he replied. The raven rolled his eyes.

"We wasted a lot of time then."

"At least we're together now."

Sasuke snuggled into the warm body he was draped across. He rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"'Night, Naruto."

The blonde groaned. "Do you _have_ to sleep now, of all times?" As the raven's breathing evened out, he wriggled a bit, arranging his pale limbs into a comfortable position – at least, comfortable for him. Naruto was left with an elbow sticking into his stomach and a knee pressed into his groin. Sighing, he tried to move the offending limbs, but failed miserably, his underdeveloped twelve-year-old muscles hardly helped – the Uchiha was a lot heavier than he looked.

He closed his own eyes, knowing he would have bruises in the morning, but not caring at all.

For the first time in his life – no matter how many times he had dreamed of it – he would be waking up to _his_ Sasuke.

Naruto smiled at the thought.


	7. Meeting Old Friends

**Title: **FOX

**Chapter: **7 - Reunion

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**Notes: **Well yeah, this was written whilst suffering from seasickness but I have gone back and updated/made it longer, so I hope its okay now.

**Disclaimer: **I wonder if I tied K. Masashi to the mast of a yacht in stormy seas, and threatened not to let him go until he gives me Naruto and Sasuke he'd give in… And I could enlist the help of Captain Jack Sparrow! Except I don't own him either, damn… :goes off to make another plan:

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke sat at the counter alone, brooding into his bowl of ramen whilst waiting for the others to arrive. The pensive expression on his face, teamed with the frown creasing his brow earned him more than one worried look from Ayame, who found time in between customers to lean over the counter and attempt to engage him in conversation. 

"We haven't seen you around here in a while, Sasuke." This was the third attempt.

"Hn," he replied in a bored voice. It was obvious to anybody that he wasn't interested in talking – at least not to Ayame.

"So much for third time's a charm," she muttered, before turning to the next customer with a bright smile and a cheerful greeting.

He sat alone a few minutes more, before Sakura joined him. They sat together in a comfortable silence as their childhood friends joined them one by one.

Most of them had kept in touch, but there were a few exclaimed greetings within the group as people caught sight of old friends they hadn't seen in years. None of them noticed Sasuke, sitting quietly on the corner. Even Sakura neglected to point out the fact that he was there.

The group fell into easy conversation, waiting for the few who still hadn't arrived to do so.

Finally, Ino arrived, clutching her handbag. She quickly made her way over to the group, calling apologies to them as she went. She looked over the group, greeting them all with smiles and hugs before freezing suddenly when her gaze reached the edge.

"Sasuke-kun?" she asked, surprise evident in her voice. The group turned simultaneously, all seeing Sasuke for the first time in years, and none of them expecting to, if the surprised looks on their faces were anything to go by. Obviously, Kiba had forgotten to mention that the dark haired boy would be there, and not only that, but he had information on Naruto.

"When did you get back?" she immediately started the interrogation, suppressing excited squeals with sheer will power. The boy sighed.

"Two years ago. I've been living with Sakura, I'm surprised you didn't know." He said, lazily raising an eyebrow at the pink haired girl. Ino glared.

"Trying to keep him to yourself, huh, Sakura?" Sasuke frowned slightly, and all the rest of the group tried their hardest not to laugh as the girl's face flushed a deep pink, matching her hair.

"No, of course not!" she exclaimed shrilly, not convincing anybody with her act of annoyance.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed, rolling his eyes slightly. Ino turned to the frowning brunette with a big smile on her face, arms spread out wide. As she advanced on him, a path cleared through the cloud. Many thought Ino, with her pupil less blue eyes was scary as it was, but when she smiled like that, it was enough to give you nightmares. Well, _most_ people anyway.

Shikamaru was smiling as the blonde reached him, proclaiming in a loud voice that carried to everyone in the room.

"I love you too, Shika-kun! But I haven't seen Sasuke in _aaa_ges!" She enveloped him in a hug, planting a kiss on his lips before sitting in his lap.

The group stared at the scene incredulously, before hurriedly looking away when the couple looked up, the word '_what?_' stamped in bold letters across their features.

"Ino and… Shikamaru?" Sasuke questioned Sakura in a whisper. She nodded slightly, biting her lip to stop the manic grin from spreading across her face.

Ino decided it was time to restart the conversation. "So, what's this reunion in aid of exactly? I had to tell the boss it was about Naruto…" there was a sharp intake of breath at the mention of the name and they all fell into an awkward silence, "or he wouldn't let me come." She finished off weakly, before joining them.

"Yo," the grey haired man greeted the group, seemingly oblivious to the melancholy expressions on their faces. "Sorry we're late. You see there was this old lady who got stuck up a tree… I mean, her cat-"

"No, Kakashi. You couldn't be bothered to get up this morning, so I practically had to dress you myself to get you here before midnight." A blush spread across his face as he realized what he had implied, and he fell silent again.

"Did you _have_ to tell them that, Iruka?" he said, pouting, an expression which seemed oddly out of place on the masked face. "It totally ruins my image." His voice softened and his face took on a pained expression before asking the question that had been asked just before the pair had arrived. "Is this about Naruto?"

"Yes." Sasuke spoke up from the back of the crowd, and Kakashi caught a glimpse of the raven sitting at the counter as the crowd parted to look at him. "You're a police officer, am I right?"

"Actually, I'm head of the case." Sasuke nodded, satisfied.

"I know where he is." He stated calmly, and as people began to interrupt, he held up a hand for silence. "And I know who took him."

He now had the whole group's attention, though the way in which they viewed him was different. Expressions ranged from incredulous, to angry, to hopeful.

"Oh please, do tell." Kakashi said sarcastically.

"It's an organisation called Akatsuki, and they're keeping him at their old base."

The man had paled at the name of the organisation, and now he repeated the word with a question in his voice. "Akatsuki?"

"You must have heard of them." The man nodded.

"Yes, I've heard of them. Of course I've heard of them, but what do they want with Naruto?"

"Well, they'll get three things out of it in the long term. Firstly, they'll get at me. And seeing as he's pretty popular I expect they thing he'll give them some leverage…" he trailed off.

Frowning, Kakashi commented on the new information. "I can understand the second reason, but why would they want to get at you?" Sasuke sighed and leaned onto the counter, resting his chin in his hands, a solemn look in his dark eyes.

"And what's the third thing they'll get out of it? That was only two…"

"I'll just explain it all. It makes things easier, I guess."

* * *

_Flashback – 2 years ago_

"You will regret leaving us." A low voice echoed from the back off the room, bouncing off the rocky walls. The speaker was in the shadows cast by a small amount of light that was creeping through the partially open door.

Silhouetted against the light was a young man of eighteen. He stood sideways, his face turned away from the room. His form was dark, contrasting in stark relief against the bright white light.

"What can you take from me? I have nothing to lose." The voice was monotonous, the end of the sentence punctuated by a harsh laugh from the man in the shadows.

"Think about that statement a little more. Are you perfectly sure?"

"I have nothing to lose." The boy repeated, still in a monotone with no expression conveyed with the words.

"Then I suppose you don't care about the Uzumaki boy, do you?" The outline of the boy stiffened and the other man smirked slightly.

"So you thought we didn't know about that? Tell me, Sasuke, how can you have been here with us for so long, and not know that we know _everything_ about you? I do believe he is the reason you decided to leave in the first place?"

"So what if he is?" there was a slight pause.

"Honestly, Sasuke. You wouldn't want your friend to get _hurt_ would you?" Now it was the younger man's turn to smirk.

"How can you possibly hurt him? He's famous, guarded night and day. There's no way for you to get to him."

"Such ignorance, on your part. We have methods, Sasuke, don't underestimate us."

"I could say the same to you. As you said, I have been with you a long time. Six years. Don't you think that in that time I will have picked up on all of your _tricks_? Anything you do to hurt him, I can counter. I assume you're thinking poison? It would be much too hard to shoot him, him being who he is. Wasn't it you that taught me how to make an antidote for any of the poisons Akatsuki makes? Whatever methods you use to hurt Naruto, I _will_ stop you."

"You will _try_ to stop us. Are you sure you want to risk your friend's life for the sake of your pride?"

The boy laughed quietly, privately. "You won't be able to think of a new way to hurt him fast enough, you cannot hurt him."

The other man's eyes glinted dangerously in the dark.

"Then let's think of this as a test. If you can stop us, we will respect you and not bother you for the rest of your life. If you are so confident in your abilities, go and put them to the test. See if you put your theory into practice."

"If I can stop you, there will be nobody left to _bother_ me. If there is, then I haven't really stopped you." The boy turned his body to face the light, now casting the room into near complete darkness as his form blocked the light from entering. As he turned, he raised his hand in an arrogant wave, causing the other man to raise an eyebrow.

"Goodbye, Sasuke."

"'Bye, Orochimaru."

"And happy birthday. (1)" This last sentence was uttered quickly in the moments before the door slammed shut. When it did so, the room was black, but still the man didn't move.

"Don't underestimate us, Uchiha Sasuke." He repeated his earlier statement, "We will be watching you."

* * *

Kakashi sighed disbelievingly. "So you expect me to believe that you were a twelve-year-old contract killer?" Sasuke shook his head tiredly. 

"No, that would be stupid." Kakashi cocked an eyebrow,

"Continue." He said slowly.

"At first they just made me clear up after them and stuff. Helped them to make the poisons. And the antidotes, sometimes. I first killed a man when I was fourteen." He caught the frown on Kakashi's face. "It's not like I had a choice, though."

"You do realize that I could now, _should_ now, arrest you for being a part of an organisation of assassins?"

"I was twelve." He stated bluntly.

"You could have left at sixteen, rather than eighteen." He countered.

"When I was sixteen, I knew hardly anything about the world. Only a few things I could remember, and what I saw when we went… _out_. My friends," he nodded at the group, "you were only in dreams. After enough time had passed, I wasn't even sure if you were real or not. If I'd left then, I'd more likely than not have gone back to them, or died, or something, and then I never would have properly left…" he trailed off, mumbling something that sounded like 'and then none of this would have happened'.

The grey haired man inclined his head slightly in a nod. Sakura quickly filled the slight gap the two men had left in their conversation.

"That's horrible, Sasuke-kun! Didn't you have a choice to leave or not in the first place? When you were twelve?" The boy sighed.

"Yes, but they said they knew Itachi and I didn't have family. I knew he was alive but I never thought I'd be able to track him down, he was my brother. I wanted to be with my family, what I didn't realise what that everyone I already had was about a million times better than _him_." He looked up, sadness filling his gaze.

"So why was the meeting left until now, why not when things _started_ to go wrong?" Iruka spoke for the first time since his earlier embarrassment, running his finger worriedly over the scar on his nose.

"I only just worked out what they did to him, from the video." He glanced at Ino who looked down at the floor, her hands clenched into fists in her lap.

"So? What _did_ they do to him?" the inevitable question came, the one that Sasuke couldn't bear to answer. His eyes hardened and all expression was wiped off his face.

"The worst thing they could have done. They have injected him with a poison that creates a multiple personality within the mind of the victim. This 'personality' is called Kyuubi, it is a mindless killer that exists only to destroy anything in its path that is remotely threatening. The person administered with the poison sees Kyuubi in his mind as a nine-tailed fox. As time passes, Kyuubi will take over Naruto's-" he stopped, a crack momentarily appearing in his emotionless mask. He took a second to fix it, shaking himself slightly before continuing. "As time passes, Kyuubi will take over the victim's mind and personality, causing them to become a shell of the person they were before. The only thing that will remain the same is physical appearance. Once Kyuubi has taken over, the victim is nothing better than a monster. A machine used for killing. At that point, you cannot help them. The process is irreversible." All this was said in a monotone, the words used were impersonal, as if he didn't want to relate it to his friend. As if he _couldn't_. He took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"How long have we got?" Shikamaru asked. _Trust him to be the practical one, even if he _is_ dating Ino._

Looking up momentarily, he answered the question. "Judging from the strength and length of the attack, no more than a week."

"Sasuke, would it be possible for me to interview you? For the news, so the public knows what's happening." The question was voiced tentatively, unsurely. It was clear how much the subject affected the blonde girl, from the way talking about it completely robbed her of her confidence.

"No." he replied. "If Akatsuki doesn't know that I know you, they are _not_ going to find out. I will not let them hurt anybody else. Until this is all over, I don't know you. Any of you." The words were uttered steadily, firmly. To the people around him, it was clear that it was another of his masks.

"This all sounds like a trap to me."

"I know, but what else can I do? If I refuse to go along with it, refuse to fall into the trap, Naruto becomes their tool." He paused, "that's the third thing they get from taking him." He listed the three things again, "Firstly, they hurt me. Secondly, he can give them leverage. Thirdly, they get a new _toy._ A new machine, so they don't actually have to get their hands dirty."

There was a contemplative silence, not without awkwardness. It seemed the whole meeting was just that – awkward.

"Ino, can you arrange for me to talk with the band members?" the girl nodded.

"We'll do all we can to help Naruto. He's still our friend, even if he cut off from us."

Sasuke looked surprised.

"He stopped talking to all of you?" the group nodded sadly. "Even Iruka?" he turned to the scarred man, who was looking at the ground once again. Motionless and silent, but Sasuke could see the tear sliding slowly down his cheek.

"We'll do all that we can." The group repeated in unison, all as one, united to help their friend.

* * *

**1** _:shifty eyes:_

Also, cheesy last line or what? On both counts: I just couldn't resist :nice guy pose and sparkly grin: Ahem…


	8. Hello, Kyuubi

**Title:** FOX

**Chapter: **8 - Orochimaru

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**Notes:** I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this out, but I reeeally wasn't very happy with the other chapters cos I thought I could've done better, so I went back and updated all of them. They're now all over 2000 words long :is proud: and then I've just started writing chapter 9 and I realized I hadn't posted this yet, so I'm sorry! And thanks to purrfectangel96 for name suggestions for the band members, but being the hypocrite I am, after asking for your help I went on a… baby names website and found some for myself – sorry! I was going to use Kyo though, cos I like Kyo in Fruits Basket but yeah, it didn't really work with the other names I came up with? Okay, enough excuses already, maybe I'll use it in another fic! Tch, anyway I hope it was worth the wait, and I'm sorry but I think chapter nine might be a while too, cos it's _really_ hard to write, hardest yet, I swear! Enjoy.

**P.S. **because I finished updating all the chapters at like half three in the morning, I was too lazy to go over this one and improve slash lengthen it, so I'll probably just do that tomorrow but if you're reading this before ten am on Sunday, sorry! (I doubt you will be though, seeing as most people have more of a life than me).

**Apology** I really have to stop it with the insanely long A/Ns, and the apologies that make them longer… lol.

**Disclaimer: **K. Masashi is a stubborn bastard and I hate him cos he won't give in and admit that Sasuke and Naruto are _meant to be_ with me! Selfish or what, I mean I'm leaving him with _Neji_, and _Kiba_, and _everyone else _:pouts and sulks:

* * *

As the door closed behind him with an ominous click, the sound echoing through the huge space as Naruto turned around to face the room. 

His bright blue eyes scanned the seemingly empty surroundings. The minimal light filtering though the glass above reflected off the shining silver surfaces, with plain white walls and floor making the room feel larger than it already was. That and the disturbing aura flooding the room combined to made the blonde feel like a deer in a vast field, with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and eyes everywhere.

He took a hesitant step forwards, into the light. The blonde highlights in his sunny yellow hair blazed with an inner fire, almost red, his tanned skin shone in the glowing bath and his eyes sparkled. Yet, though they sparkled it was not with the usual happiness; today, the blue eyes were sparkling with fear.

He looked around again. At first it still seemed there was nobody there, but as his eyes got used to the minimal light in the room he noticed the dark form standing motionless in a shadowy corner. Light reflected off a malevolent glare, causing the blonde to shiver as he felt a fist clench in the stomach.

Yes, he decided, this was definitely more than the usual uneasiness that came from being in a room alone with the pale man, this was much more.

Naruto stayed rooted to his place near the door, watching and waiting warily for the man to do something. As he moved forwards, the sound of his footsteps echoed through the room, calm and measured. The blonde suppressed a shudder as he stepped from the shadows, his face an emotionless mask, his dark hair partially covering his face, which Naruto supposed could be counted as a blessing, seeing as the rather snake-like features had always scared him somewhat, even since he had met the man. Blue eyes met green as he observed the changes in his appearance, trying to pinpoint exactly what was different, what was making him so afraid.

Instead of the usual pressed white shirt and jeans – the man's poor attempt at a more casual style – the raven was clad entirely in black, further emphasizing his sickly pallor and coordinating _wonderfully_ with his hair; however it was not the change of outfit that scared the boy, nor was it the look on his face – though that had something to do with it – no, it was the sheer malice that filled the air as he drew closer; choking him, suffocating him.

The same malice that filled the room was reflected in the reptilian green eyes, the usual smirk was there but his nose was also slightly wrinkled in what could be described as a feral snarl. These two factors combined gave the man's almost permanent smirk a whole new message: _I am going to hurt you_. Yes, this Orochimaru was very different from the normal one, though also the same. Naruto had always had the feeling the man disliked him, maybe even wanting to hurt him as this version of him did, but he had always seemed too afraid to voice his feelings. Now the boy saw that all of it was merely an act, he was disgusted at himself for being so easily fooled. After _Sasuke_ he had enough experience with acts and disguises, why hadn't he seen though this one?

Collecting himself, he decided to continue as if nothing was wrong, and he was completely oblivious to the situation. "What do you want this time?" the blonde bit out quickly, trying and failing to sound bored, his voice shook with fear. _There goes that plan. _As he realised just _how_ much he was scaring the boy, Orochimaru's eyes lit up even more. He murmured something beneath his breath that sounded like 'and we haven't even gotten started yet', though he voiced no _real_ answer to the blonde's question, soon the boy was going to wish he had never asked.

Now the arms that had been folded rather awkwardly behind his back unfolded. In one was a lethal-looking syringe with a very, _very_, long needle. It contained a strange orange liquid that was glowing angrily with some sort of internal light. He held it up in front of his face, his smirk amplified through the curved glass. His other arm hung by his side, the hand empty.

As soon as he had caught sight of the syringe, the blonde had retraced the few steps back to the door, before turning and yanking on the handle, trying desperately to escape, only to find in despair that it was locked. _When did that happen, I didn't lock it, and he didn't, so that must mean there is somebody else here…_ even as he realised this, the empty hand was put to use, beckoning the two previously unseen men to restrain him. The pair was also clad in black – a fact that barely registered in the blonde's panic-stricken mind.

_Have to get out, have to get out, have to get out_. The blonde began a mantra in his head as he squirmed in the tight grasps of the two men. They held on with grim determination as the blonde did everything in his power to get free, to no avail.

He called for help, screamed until his voice was hoarse, and still nobody came. There was not even a sign that somebody had heard him on the other side of the door; he was completely alone. Of course, in the state he was in, he blew this fact completely out of proportion, questions such as _is everybody in on this _and _does the world want to fucking kill me_ running through his mind, as he questioned the loyalty of those closest to him.

The slowly approaching man sneered once again. "Soundproof," he whispered, the one word hitting the blonde like a fist to the stomach, though the feeling was probably aided by the fact that one of his captors had done just that. As the air was knocked out of his lungs, he struggled to take another breath, and cried out again; this time in pain, rather than fear.

The dark haired man turned on his comrade, hissing. "We need the boy _in_tact!" he snarled, the other nodded mutely in response – it was best not to anger Orochimaru. He was fairly unpredictable when he was angry, and besides, if he ruined the plan, it would not only be Orochimaru he would have to answer to, that was if there was any of him left after the snake-man was finished with him. He winced at the thought.

The raven strode the last few steps towards the boy, wielding the needle like he would a sword. Whatever it was that was in the syringe, it was obviously not good, if the way the two men watched its progress with worried eyes was anything to go by, flinching whenever the point neared them as the man waved it around in exuberant gestures. The pale man now stood close to the blonde, without losing eye contact, he gestured for one of the men to extend an arm, which he did so, yanking on his wrist roughly so that the boy cried out in pain.

The blonde winced once as the man slapped the crook of his elbow, making the vein stand out against the skin of his arm, then again as the needle penetrated his skin and the fiery orange substance was deposited into his blood stream. Almost instantly, the blonde's muscles started to spasm, twitching roughly and causing the lean body to rock disjointedly.

"Get back," Orochimaru warned his accomplices, who abruptly let go of the tanned arms and moved away. The boy fell to his knees, the strange orange light that had been emitted from the syringe minutes before now enveloping the body.

"Hello, Kyuubi." Orochimaru greeted the boy as he lifted his head, looking at the raven with a blood red gaze, so different from the usual sky blue. The effect this had on the rest of his face was phenomenal, the face that had looked rather childish before could now strike fear into the hearts of many. The boy's teeth also appeared a little sharper, longer – almost fang like. The head dropped again, the blonde hair falling forwards so that the three men couldn't see his face.

"Get the fuck out of my mind." The blonde's voice barked from between gritted teeth as he doubled over, curling into himself as he leaned against the closed door, clawing frantically at his face.

The three men stood motionlessly in a line, watching as the orange glow dimmed. The blonde looked up again and Orochimaru winced, despite himself.

Caught up in his inner battle with Kyuubi, the blonde had been oblivious to any physical damage he was causing himself. In his madness, he had raked three fingers down each cheek leaving deep scratches, almost like whiskers. _How ironic, that the boy had given himself a physical mark that somehow complimented the fox he saw in his mind._ However, this was a problem.

The man stepped closer, now noticing the blank and rather vacant look in his eyes, as he forced a look of concern into his eyes.

"What happened?" the blonde asked tentatively, carefully fingering the marks on his cheek, and wincing slightly as his calloused fingers brushed against raw skin.

"You tried to go out the back door, God knows why, and you got in a fight." His manager replied; his answer made no sense, and the blonde frowned slightly. Though, as he didn't seem to know what had possessed him to use the back door either, he decided to trust him, instead trying to work out why he was here, and his friends weren't.

"You wanted to see me…" the last thing he remembered was being called back, so what happened afterwards?

"Yes, and we've already talked. Its okay if you don't remember, it was nothing important. You should go and get those cleaned up; I don't have any medical equipment here." The raven was impatient to get the boy out of the building, so that he could relax,

"Yeah, okay," the blonde replied, standing and turning to the door, lifting a hand in a wave before exiting, but never turning. Orochimaru smirked once again; _he and Sasuke are more alike that they know_.

As Naruto got into the car with his band mates, their worried expressions lessened, only to return with renewed vigour when they saw the wounds inflicted on his face.

"What happened?" they asked worriedly, and in reply received the answer that Orochimaru had told him. That was Akatsuki's problem solved.

Back in the building, Orochimaru turned to his two men who had once again melted into the shadows once the boy had regained consciousness.

"Tell Leader that it went perfectly." He said, but one of the men frowned.

"But won't people ask about the scratches? I think they're going to scar."

"Oh no, he got them in a fight when he tried to go out of the back door. Don't you remember?" the men laughed, the harsh and chilling sound echoing through the empty room, bouncing of whitewashed walls.

"It went _perfectly_."


	9. Finding You

**Title: **FOX

**Chapter: **9 – The Search

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**Notes:** This chapter was really hard to write, cos like nothing really exciting happens _and_ I didn't plan it properly, well done me, but I still managed to make it the longest one yet _and_ the A/N isn't _that_ ridiculously long (yet). Anyway, I hope its ok! Enjoy.

**P.S. **I'm getting so stressed with the computer's caveman thing. It's like 'a wall put up to protect he from everything that hurt'. But its 'a wall put up to protect _himself_ from everything that hurt'. Save me, please?

**Reviewers: **I have 16 reviews now, for 8 chapters. That's like, 2 per chapter, and I know it's partially my fault for posting three at a time once, so if you want you can go review the two you didn't when I did that, and if you just started reading go back and review every single chapter, _now_. I like big numbers? (I'm so not selfish or anything, got it:cough:)

**Disclaimer: **I'm working on it.

* * *

Pain hung thickly in the air, almost like a fire blanket, dampening people's spirits, hiding their smiles. The throbbing hum of many engines filled the air, quickly joined by the smell of a thousand exhaust fumes. To a passer by, each car would be indistinguishable to another as they whizzed by as fast as the congestion would allow them; quick flashes of colour, replaced by another and another, until the motion was stopped by a red light. A horn blared, shortly joined by another. Drivers were impatient these days; used to travelling fast and to getting where they were going with time to spare. Of course, of the millions of people who walked down the road every day, none of them really stopped to take all this in, yet they still managed to notice the white car smoothly gliding in between the lanes, slowly but surely making its way to the front of the queue. Not that there was anything special about the make or model of the car, what drew peoples eye was the large emblazoned 'POLICE' written across the side, and on the bonnet, and the lights on the top. 

The siren was not on, there were no cars hurriedly moving to make way, and the blue lights weren't flashing, but the car carried with it an air of urgency, but also of secrecy. If people squinted, they could make out three of four more in the distance, all moving in the same direction. People who were walking in pairs or groups stopped to discuss what the car was there for, people who were alone simply wondered, but it did not go unnoticed.

The passengers of the vehicle were nothing special either. Two police officers seated in the front, and a young dark haired man, who could easily have been assumed to be been an offender by no wide stretch of the imagination, seated in the back. The driver was a tall, bulky young man, easily passing the six foot mark, his body strong and muscular, and his hands strong. As they finally stopped at the lights, he ran a hand through short bleached blonde hair, muttering to himself impatiently, strongly resenting the fact that he was under strict orders not to turn the siren on. The idea was to remain inconspicuous. _Whoever's idea that was_, he thought to himself,_ was an idiot, _and he thought this with good reason too.

A police car attracts attention wherever it goes, so there's no point telling the driver to be fucking 'inconspicuous', he'd had the attention of passers by as soon as he'd left the station. His partner gave him a friendly glance, sensing his impatience. She was petite, with long dark hair tied back from her face in a tight pony tail, giving her an air of severity. Despite this, her eyes were wide and her lips full and she looked for all the world like an eighteen year old, twenty at most, though she had had that birthday many years before and was now twenty-seven, the same age as the man sitting beside her, tapping his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel, and as many people were surprised to find out, the two remained very close friends, despite the immense differences in their appearance.

The boy in the back was none other than Uchiha Sasuke, arms folded, dark expression, Uchiha Sasuke. They had been told that he was to help with the Naruto case, but they still weren't quite sure why. They had met him only this morning, when Kakashi had told them that they were to be giving him a lift to a dilapidated old building on the edge of town. He was no criminal, they could tell that by the way their silver-haired superior had treated him, and he was no policeman, this they could tell from the lack of uniform which both of the officers were wearing. They were wearing the regulation white shirt with a bullet proof vest over the top, and dark blue trousers; the same as every day, only _today_ they were kitted out with the full works. They had strapped to their belts batons, guns, handcuffs and all the other kit an officer would need for a full-scale armed raid. This left them with the question, who was the mysterious young man?

Surprisingly, the same thought was running through the boy in question's head. _Who am I?_ He had been so many different things throughout his life; he had had a family, now that was gone, he had had a brother, and he was not what he had expected, he had had a family of sorts within Akatsuki, he had left them, he had been a killer, something which he wasn't any more, and had no intention of being again, and even before that, he had had friends, and he had abandoned them. Now all of the things that _defined_ him were gone, the question needed to be answered. Who _was_ he? Who was the person behind all the identities?

Yes, the question needed to be answered, but for now he would just redefine himself. He was Uchiha Sasuke, a man on a mission, and it was that mission that needed consideration at that moment in time, even if it caused him pain. Briefly, he ran through his conversation with the band members in his mind, the moment when he had found out that it was none other than _Orochimaru_ who had been acting as their manager; a position that had given him an infinite amount of possibilities to access the blonde. Bringing his legs up towards his chin, he wrapped his arms around his shins and rested his head against the window, ignoring the slight discomfort he felt as the vibrations from the engine that were making the windows vibrate too passed through to his skull. He relished in the slight feeling of pain he got from his head knocking on the window again and again and again.

He had been punishing himself mentally ever since his last discovery, he needed a physical reminder too. He had been so careless, so stupid, so _wrong_, and he hated himself for it. He had been made a fool of, wasn't it he himself who had told the people who did this 'don't underestimate me', and wasn't it he himself who had done just that in return. With difficulty, he forces his self-hate and remorse to one side, locking them behind a door that he could open once this whole ordeal was over. _Naruto…_ that's right, he was supposed to be thinking about him right now, not himself. He knew _where_ they were keeping him, and how to get there. He knew, in theory, how to help him, now all that remained was to work out how to put the theory into practice. He had to make him _remember_, he had to make him _trust_ him.

Unclasping his hands from around his legs, he brought his head away from the window and covered his face, his fingers pushing into his scalp, relishing in the warmness that filled a thin layer just above the skin. The two tasks that lay ahead were seemingly impossible. How to make a boy remember, when remembering is that last thing he ever wanted to do, when he had cut himself off from his friends, started completely anew, just so that he could forget, and how to make a boy trust you, when you yourself betrayed his trust, crushed his hope, the last time he did so.

Letting out a stifled groan, he dropped his head so that he was facing into his lap, his fingers now completely tangled in his hair, the seatbelt digging into his neck. How could he _understand_ the blonde, when he hadn't seen him for almost ten whole years? When he had changed himself almost beyond recognition? Yes, the Naruto the world saw was cheerful, happy content; they would even believe him, but the Naruto his old friends saw was broken and lonely, the happiness simply a mask. A wall that he had put up when he felt vulnerable, weak, a wall he had put up to cut himself off from everything that hurt, but they didn't know if he simply didn't _want_ to tear the wall down, or if he had built it too high to even begin to comprehend where to start.

All of the ideas he had had so far were useless. He knew that when the time came, and he saw the blonde, no matter what he looked like, or how bad a state he was in, the first thing he would want to do was kiss him; to cup the other boy's face in his hands and press his lips against the others. Even when he merely thought about it, the longing gripped him tightly, a pulling in his chest that made his throat fill up and his eyes water. He knew it was the wrong thing to do, but there would always be an inner voice protesting against his decision. _Why is kissing him such a bad idea? Wouldn't it make him remember your relationship? _Sasuke gritted his teeth, pressing his knuckles into his eyes, trying to clear his mind. He couldn't just grab him and kiss him, because Naruto needed _more_ than just a physical reminder. He needed to remember the good things about his life; and that was where Sasuke was stuck. Yes, there had been good times when he had known him, he had had friends. The laughter and happiness would have been good reminders had they not been broken apart and corrupted when he left. However he looked at it, it all came back to him. He had tried every angle imaginable, but the blame still rested squarely on his shoulders, which was why he _had_ to fix this on his own. If he had made a mess as a child, he had always had to clear up after himself, which was exactly what he was doing now, though on a much larger scale, and with emotions put into play.

He couldn't let any more people get involved any more, he couldn't risk losing all that he had, and all that Naruto had to go back to. His friends were everything right now, he had only just found them again, and now that he had done so, he would never let them go. No, Sasuke was not _clingy _though he may sound it at the moment, he simply cared. Cared for his friends and for Naruto, for his family, however long deceased. He had lost so many people already, and there was no way in hell he would ever put anybody else in danger. Nothing they said or did would change that, and so he sat in silence, contemplating that one event, so many years ago, that had indirectly triggered this whole chain of events.

* * *

_Flashback __– 8 years ago_

There was a brief moment of gloom as the sun dipped behind a cloud, before it came back, bathing the area in a golden glow. The old school building was out of date and untidy, different from all of the modern buildings surrounding it, but the council didn't have enough money to replace it, and couldn't afford to disrupt the children's education. Perched on the wall outside this building was a twelve year old boy. He was tall and rather skinny, wearing a dark blue t-shirt and shorts that finished just above the knee, their colour originally white, now a murky grey colour. He swung his legs, kicking his feet against the brick wall he was seated on, and scuffing the back of his shoes. Whoever his mother was, she would not have been pleased, that was, if she had been alive. Instead, the raven-haired boy lived with Kakashi, one of the teachers at the school, and the very man he was waiting for at that moment. The boy's bored expression turned to a scowl as he glanced at his red Pokémon watch strapped onto his wrist. From behind the hands, a boy grinned out. He too had dark hair, though his skin was tanned, and he wore a cap on back to front. In his outstretched hand he was holding a pokéball, a small red and white ball, which contained, or was used to catch a Pokémon. Above his head, were the words 'gotta catch 'em all!' in yellow.

The boy knew his watch was tacky, but he had always loved the pokéball, he found, strangely, that it reminded him of something (:coughuchihasymbolcough:), looking at it made him feel not-so-alone anymore, like somebody was watching over him. He prepared to jump off the wall, he'd been waiting or three hours already, and his bottom was sore from sitting on the wall so long. He had his hands either side of him, and was actually in the process of getting off, when he froze, having heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He looked around suspiciously, shivering when they abruptly stopped. He stayed in this position, half on and half off the wall, before judging it safe to continue, and completing the action he had been doing earlier. He must have imagined them, after all there were no footsteps now, were there?

Sighing in resignation, Sasuke started to walk back down the road towards the apartment where he lived with reliably late teacher. By now he had been sitting there for another half hour. As he walked down the road, he kept listening out for the other set of footsteps. There still were none, though the sounds his own feet were making seemed unusually loud. He began to run, jumping as the noise split into two, before almost instantly becoming the same again. Frowning slightly, he stopped abruptly. Again, there was the slight splitting of the sound, before it ceased completely. He turned slowly, scowling his best 'Uchiha Death Glare' fixed firmly on his face.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" he called, pretending he was playing his favourite game to make the situation less scary. When he received no answer, he bit his lip before calling, "well stop following me then, because who ever you are, you're scaring me!"

He was about to turn and run again, when a movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned to face the dark-haired man who was now emerging from the shadows. (As he recapped this, Sasuke shivered, realizing that the man looked exactly the same now as he had then) "You're a clever little one, aren't you." He said in a falsely patronizing voice.

"I'm not a baby!" Sasuke shouted, crossing his arms and pouting in annoyance, before remembering to glare and immediately reverting back to it. The man only grinned more, before taking another step forewards, to which Sasuke took one back. "I'm not allowed to talk to strangers." He said stubbornly.

"Oh, I'm sorry I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Orochimaru, an acquaintance of your brother's." the dark eyes widened at this.

"You know Aniki?" he asked incredulously, the other man smirked.

"Yes, and he wants to meet you. I can take you to him, if you come with me. Itachi _really_ wants to see you. Just think, you can have your family back again! Well, some of it anyway." He paused as the boy winced, tears welling up in his eyes. He walked forwards, crouching down in front of the boy so that their heads were level. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I didn't mean to remind you, but Itachi does want to see you."

The boy looked up at the man, hope evident in his eyes and his expression. "Would you really take me to see Aniki?" the other just nodded.

"I know you won't want to leave immediately, and you might not want to come at all, but if you do, bring a few things with you on Thursday, that's the day after tomorrow, and you can come with me to see your Aniki." The boy nodded eagerly, before frowning.

"What about Naruto? And Sakura and Shikamaru and Chouji and Ino and…" he embarked on a long list of people, which Orochimaru blocked out, not really caring who the brat was friends with. Once he had finished, he smiled politely, before speaking.

"Well, I'm afraid you'd have to leave them behind, Sasuke. But it's worth it to see Itachi, isn't it?" he asked in an apologetic tone, Sasuke thought about it for a minute before nodding.

"Yeah, I'll tell them tomorrow." The man took in breath quickly, before dissuading him from his idea, speaking carefully so as not to worry the boy.

"No, no. You mustn't tell anybody, or Itachi won't be able to see you." The boy nodded his consent warily, before turning.

"I'll see you on Thursday, Orochimaru-san!" he shouted as he ran down the road. Orochimaru simply nodded, and called out his farewells, before turning and heading in the opposite direction, already planning what he would say to the Uchiha when Thursday came. _Itachi is waiting for us just outside town, come on, we don't want to keep him waiting!_ Yes, the man smirked, that would work well, the boy was so desperate he would hardly notice if he said,_ let's go out of town so I can make you my slave for the rest of your life!_

He laughed softly as he melted into the shadows, a sinister sound that sent chills down the back of the spines of anyone unlucky enough to hear it.

* * *

Sasuke was snapped out of his daze as the car pulled up. He lifted his head to meet two concerned gazes, and nodded, only slightly inclining his head, but they caught the motion all the same. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he opened the car door and stepped out into the gathering dusk. 


	10. How I Feel

**Title: **FOX

**Chapter: **10 - Solitude

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Naruto Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**Notes: **I changed the summary, cos I just realized how boring it sounds, it doesn't even mention Akatsuki, so I hope the new one is better. I guess I'll find out when I post the chapter tonight, hm? Sorry this chapter is so late, I have a whole load of excuses that just take up too much space and this A/N is already ridiculously long as it is. Here are a few points, to cut down on the mindless rambling that I normally do:

1)New reviewers! I love you all! You make me happy! Keep reviewing!

2)21 reviews for 9 chapters. I'm aiming for 20 by the end of this one and 50 by the end of the fic.

3)Do as you would be done by - I haven't reviewed for you guys, if you want me to review anything just tell me and I'll R&R as soon as I get the message!

4)Special message for htotheizzo – your review is definitely my favourite so far. I totally agree with you, I _am_ amazing aren't I? I have the modesty to go along with it too.

5)I'd like it if you put in some constructive criticism in your reviews so that I have points to improve on. Be as mean as you want as long as you tell me you love me at the end.

Anyway, I'll just shut up now and get on with the chapter. Enjoy, and remember to review!

**P.S.** This chapter used to be shorter and crappier than it is at the moment, so don't complain and say thanks to Linkin Park for the song I was listening to at the time.

**P****.P.S. **I just checked the stats and now I'm gonna be mean and list the people who favourited/alerted the fic but didn't review, cos I think you should be reviewing: Atrophy, Gaara is the best, Gemstones, KariNeko, Maaka Na Tsuki, Natsu-Shimo, Put the Fun in Dysfunctional, Yuyuxsan, only-getting-darker, x-EliteAssassin-x, zoebeansmommy, Biolightning, Fishstick85. Short note for new readers: if you favourite or alert the fic, I guess that means you like it, so _I'd_ like it if you reviewed for me at least once. Happy authors write faster!!

**P.P.P.S.** I totally didn't make the A/N even more freakishly long than normal to bring the word count up, why would I ever do that? I just had a lot to say (this whole thing, including disclaimer is 487 words, but it used to be 599 before I cut it down)!

**Disclaimer: **My new plan is faultless, but I can't tell you what it is cos then K. Masashi will find out all the timings and stuff and it won't work.

* * *

_Flashback – 8 years ago_

It was grey.

That one word was effectively the only way to describe it. Although it was nearing summer, the sun was hidden behind hulking dark clouds, so full of water they almost appeared to be sagging in the middle with the strain. The air was heavy and dull, and the usually vibrant and bright surroundings of the school were muted, with only a brief flash of light every so often to remind you of what it usually looked like. For now however, the grass appeared wilted, and the flowers looked dull and dusty, and this coupled with the depressive mood permeating the atmosphere made it the type of weather that made you feel sad just by looking out of a window. The kind of weather that formed a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes, and made you have to consciously stop yourself from crying.

The long concrete road stretched far into the distance, fading into white as the fog built up. It was lined with fairly modern buildings with the school planted right in the middle of them, shrouded in a misty haze that blurred the edges and removed all of the small cracks in the walls from visibility, making the building appear almost new, as if time had turned back. _If only that could happen… _At the end of the short path that led to the doors, the low brick wall that had been there just as long as the building had, and that was just as worse for wear, was also engulfed in the dismal cloud.

The area seemed uninhabited, save for a lone figure seated on the wall, on a smooth groove, worn down and moulded into that shape by many generations of students sitting in that same place. The boy's body language gave off wave after wave of distress and loneliness, he was perched on the very edge of the wall, bracing himself with his feet to prevent himself from falling off, his back was stiff and tense but his shoulders were loose and hunched, and he was staring at the ground with blank, unseeing eyes; almost as if there were nothing there.

For a while, nothing changed except for the position of the clouds, and the occasional flash of sunlight illuminating the surroundings until the ominous clouds finally burst. At first, the rain fell slowly from the sky in what could only be called a drizzle, before speeding up and falling harder and harder, faster and faster, quickly soaking everything to the core. The boy's previously loose orange shirt now lung to his back, showing every contour of his slim form. He started to shake slightly, shivers moving his body every so often, but the movement was so slight that you would have to stare to notice it in the first place.

A trickle of water ran slowly down his curved cheek, speeding up as it made its way over his cheekbone, and mapping its route over his tanned skin in an uneven line, before reaching his chin and dripping into his lap. The single droplet was quickly joined by another and another, until the cheeks were awash with water, all sliding to the same spot on his chin, where they dropped methodically into the folds of his shorts. To any passer by who happened to look close enough, it would appear as if he was crying, but his body remained motionless, and his breath regular. They would not be wrong that the boy was upset, _more_ than upset, but as sad as he was, he refused to let his emotions show so openly. Gone were the days when his face was an open book, easily readable to anybody who looked, his feelings had been played with, and he wouldn't let it happen any more, never again. But however strong his resolution was, he was fighting a losing battle. For now, the clear liquid running down his cheeks was simply the rain water, but the sensation of cool fluid flowing over his skin caused him to have to bite the inside of his mouth to stop real tears from joining them. _I don't want to be hurt this way ever again. Nobody can ever know how I really feel, not ever…_

As these thoughts ran through his mind, he dropped his head even lower, the blonde bangs falling into his face and obscuring his features completely, but still the water kept dripping from his chin into the ever growing puddle in his lap, now threatening to spill over his thighs and onto the floor. He closed his eyes, desperately trying to focus himself, trying to control the emotions running amok through his brain. If he couldn't do it now, he would never be able to do it, and he _had _to be able to. His hands clenched into fists, and his mouth hardened into a thin, tight line with the muscles in his jaw straining as he gritted his teeth, drawing in a hissing breath between them. His breath hitched slightly as he briefly heard footsteps behind him, before they stopped. He ignored the sound completely.

The tall man who had just exited the building paused to lock the door behind him, and to open his large umbrella, the yellow becoming the only bright source of colour, the vibrancy of it similar to that of the sun in the current conditions. He looked around, noticing the blonde, and making his way over, shielding them both from the rain with the yellow canopy. The blonde looked up briefly, listening to the sound of the raindrops drumming on the waterproof surface, before looking down once again. The man placed a reassuring hand on the orange-clad shoulder, before crouching in front of him and speaking softly.

"Hey, Naruto," he paused awkwardly, no longer sure of quite what to say, "Naruto… I know you're sad that Sasuke is gone but we all are." He stopped then, but thinking this wasn't enough due to the lack of reaction from the boy, continued. "I'm sure he'll come back…" the twelve-year-old lifted his head slowly, impassively.

"No." he said the one word before looking quickly down again, as if he didn't _want_ to look at the older man. The young voice had been monotonous, more mature than anybody had ever heard it, and Iruka raised an eyebrow in surprise at the lack of emotion showing on the usually open boy.

"No?" he repeated uncertainly, not quite sure how to react to this 'new Naruto'. A slight frown creased his brow, he had known the two boys were good friends, _best_ friends, but that it would have enough of an effect on him to steal him of his emotions, he must not have had the full picture. He waited patiently for an answer, now uncaring of the world around him, focussing solely on the boy seated in front of him, the boy he cared for.

"No. You don't understand… You _can't _understand." He paused, "If he was coming back, he would have told me." the blonde tried and failed to keep the tremor out of his voice, showing some of the emotion he was trying to hard to keep hidden, and inwardly cursing himself for it. He sucked a breath between his teeth with the same hissing sound as before, sounding eerily like Darth Vader, trying to calm himself down, to lock down his feelings once again, before continuing. "He's not coming back, Iruka-sensei. I just know it."

The man let out a small sigh, before gently taking hold of one of the still-clenched fists, gently prying the fingers apart, and when he met no resistance, slipping his hand into the other. He stood, tugging gently on the other boy's arm. "Let's get you home and dried up, we can't have you catching a cold now, can we?" he smiled as the blonde slipped off the wall, moving the umbrella so that it covered them both once again, even though it made no difference to the already soaking boy, if he hadn't offered it, he would not have been able to live with himself. He laughed openly at the disapproving glance the boy sent the object, almost as if saying 'how is this supposed to help, when I'm as wet as I am already?', though he stopped abruptly when the azure gaze turned to him, once again devoid of any feeling. It saddened him to see his son's eyes so deadened and other-worldly. Iruka, who had been lost in thought, was awakened abruptly by an insistent pull on his arm, forcing him to take a step forwards, lest he fall over. He looked up and saw the blonde moving on ahead, not looking back, but not letting go either. The man sighed inwardly, _as long as I know he's not _completely_ dead…_

They carried on walking together in silence, towards the horizon, as they had done so often in the past, the only sound that of the rain hammering down onto the ground, and their footsteps resounding off the concrete pavement, but Naruto had never been the same since then. He had been cut off and distant, his stoic mask growing thicker and thicker by the day, until he completely cut himself off from them.

At that point, they all believed that the Naruto they had known was well and truly lost.


	11. You Left Me

**Title:**FOX

**Chapter: **11 – Trust

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**Notes:**The beginning of this chapter was _so_ not inspired by the beginning of Naruto: Shippuden episode 1… I didn't write the song. I was going to write one, but that would've taken twice as long, so thanks to farewellfriends on some website that I can't remember for the lyrics, though I may go back and change the chapter to a song I've written if I come up with something (which I probably won't.) The chapter was originally different, and I don't know which one was better but I'm going with this one becase it means I can add in another chapter, which means I get to write the story for longer (I think).

**More Notes: **Yesterday, the f key broke, and now the y key has broken, and I have to _attack_ them every time I want to write them, otherwise they don't come up. It's stressful.

**Thank You: **I have over 30 reviews now, which really makes me happy. I'm aiming for 40 now, that's only like 5 more, and then 50 by the end of the fic. I can't believe that the chapter after next is gonna be the last one.

**Disclaimer: **The plan failed, K. Masashi is psychic or something... (And the song isn't mine)

* * *

All he could hear was the sound of his feet pounding on the stone floor. That and his racing heart beat, and the short, sharp gasps of his breathing. Not for the first time, he cursed himself for neglecting his fitness in the last four years. He stumbled slightly as his toe caught on the edge of a flagstone, only just managing to save himself before freezing and cautiously scanning the environment around him. When no bullets began flying at him, he relaxed slightly, and resumed his previous activity of running through the corridors, looking through any doors he came across.

He began running again, but stopping almost as soon as he had begun to look through yet another door. He let out an exasperated sigh, not even trying to cover his exasperation, as he looked through it seeing nothing important, just another unrecognizable room, uninhabited, unfurnished and unlit. He slammed it shut behind him and took of down the corridor once again, panting as he did so and trying to ignore the pain in his legs. The sound echoed through the building, and with nothing to absorb the waves, they kept on going, bouncing off the rocky surfaces, each one as loud as the one before them, continuing even after he had run out of earshot. The man cursed inwardly at the noise he was making, but then again, he thought, if they _were_ here, wouldn't he have seen them by now? Wouldn't they have stopped him?

Sasuke took another few steps before stopping. It was hopeless; how was he supposed to find his friend in this endless maze of corridors and doors when he had no idea where to start? He gritted his teeth in frustration, trying to think of a new strategy. Obviously, running around frantically, making lots of noise, and slamming doors wasn't helping, but he couldn't think of anything else to do. He stood motionless, his legs quivering from overexertion, and was about to take off once again when he heard a yell.

"_Kyuubi!_" Dark eyes widened as he heard the harsh tone of voice, if that was what he thought it was, then he was in serious trouble. He tried to locate the source of the noise, and cursed as he realized it had been from behind the last door he had slammed. Retracing his footsteps, he opened the door slowly and walked through, stepping into the dimly lit room. Only now did he see the door on the opposite wall, left slightly ajar, with dim light filtering through the crack.

He cautiously crossed the room, preparing to open the door further, when an explosion of red light hit his eyes, burning the colour into his retinas for the next few minutes, causing him to blink repeatedly so that he could actually see what was in front of him. As soon as this was done, he flung open the door, running quickly into the room, his eyes immediately drawn to the figure facing away from him in the corner. The figure with matted golden hair, and tanned skin, the figure clad only in ripped clothes, the figure with jutting bones. The figure with red light bursting from every pore of his skin, from every strand of his hair, and as he turned his head to regard the newcomer, Sasuke gasped, the figure with demonic red eyes.

"Na-Naruto?" he asked, his voice shaky, hoping, _praying_ that he wasn't too late. The crimson orbs looked him over, and a feral smirk twisted his face, his lip curling to expose a single pointed canine.

"Naruto doesn't live here anymore." The voice was rough, almost snarling, and amusement showed in his expression as Sasuke's eyes widened and his face paled. It took all he had to keep his expression anywhere near to neutral, and to keep his mouth from hanging open. He was too late, and it was his fault. His fault that Naruto was gone, his fault that the world would never see his sunny smile again, and that they would never hear him sing. A single tear leaked from his eye down his cheek, and his eyes fluttered closed, as he breathed deeply trying to calm himself.

He opened his eyes again, wiped the wetness from his face and spoke once more, refusing to believe everything that his mind was telling him, addressing not the person he saw in front of him, but the person he wanted to see.

"Naruto, you have to remember. Everybody… we need you. _I_ need you." A determined gleam entered his eyes and he spoke firmly. The boy before him simply cocked an eyebrow, smirking slightly, the expression so reminiscent of the one that the Uchiha had used to wear as a child that he shuddered. The blonde walked over to him, putting one clawed finger under his chin and pushing it upwards so that the raven had no choice but to look into his eyes.

"Sasuke," the blonde was about to speak once again, when he quickly withdrew his clawed hand and retreated to the other side of the room where he collapsed against the wall, clutching his head. "I thought you were_ gone_." He snarled bitterly, slamming his skull repeatedly against the wall, even as the orange light dimmed.

"Not quite, damn fox." Sasuke's eyes lit up at the sound of the voice he recognized, though at the same time he winced at the hollow tone that accompanied it. The two voices both spoke, almost at the same time, though that was impossible seeing as they were emitted from the same mouth. The sounds entwined, rough against smooth, loud against quiet until the room was filled with echoing voices, screaming protestations against each other.

This was the final attack; it was his last chance to retrieve his friend from deep within the recessed of his own mind. "Naruto… you have to remember. Fight him, don't let Kyuubi win…" there was no response from the cowering figure, and the light surrounding the figure grew again, casting the room into orange shadow. Sasuke took a step forwards, before trying again. "Naruto, remember your friends… your band. Remember Izumi, and Kei… and Yuri. You sing together, well _you_ sing, remember your band?" when this line of thought refused to take root, he tried again, "Naruto, we need you, everybody needs you…" there was still no response, and the sounds echoing through the room were getting harsher by the second. "Ino, Sakura, Shikamaru, Chouji…" he began to list names, but this brought just as much response as all the other things he'd tried.

"Naruto… I, I love you." He said quietly in desperation, the smoother tone was almost gone now; and Sasuke was forced to repeat his declaration again and again, louder and louder. "I love you, I love you, I love you. Don't leave me, I know I left you but if I could I'd never have done that Naruto… Naruto!" the voices died out, and the head was lifted once again, the eyes still a vibrant shade of red as he stood once again on shaky legs, leaning heavily against the wall, the orange light of before darkening into a deep blood red.

A single tear leaked from the corner of the Uchiha's eye, and he began to sing. He began to sing the only song he could think of right now. Naruto's song, the last release from FOX before all of this had happened. As he sang, his voice caught on almost every word and he had to try his hardest just to keep on going.

"Over and over… I'll play you in my head."

As his shaky voice rose to the roof, the single unaccompanied melody began to echo throughout the room, filling the gaping silence that the voices had left, a shocked expression made it's way across the tanned face before him, although it went unnoticed by Sasuke who was now standing with his eyes shut and his fists loosely clenched, shaking slightly with the violence of the emotions colliding with each other inside of him.

"And all those symphonies of words that have left me dead…"

Now the shock turned to fear, and the boy tried his best to block his ears, though the long claws adorning his fingertips got in the way preventing him from doing so, and yet the raven still didn't notice any of these activities, still standing as he was, and singing as if he were alone.

"I'm fighting for an answer that doesn't exist,

And I'm trying as hard as I can… to keep up with what you insist."

The first tear was joined by another and another, each making their way slowly down his face, their courses joining and mixing until there was one larger tear racing its way down the smooth, pale cheek, gaining momentum as it went until it stopped abruptly at his chip, still clinging to bottom of his jaw and running down his neck.

"I'm mumbling my words, and losing my sight,

To prove to you that what I'm doing;"

His slim frame was wracked by sobs now, but still he kept on singing, trying his best to keep on going through his tears, completely oblivious to anything around him, intent on completing this last tribute to his lost friend. As more and more of the tears came, faster and faster, his voice wavered, becoming shakier and shakier as time went on, until the lump in his throat prevented him from singing at all, and another voice took over, finishing the verse from where he had left off. The voice was rough and emotional, and yet the notes it sang were pure, the two components of the sound were so different, but that just made it all the more interesting, drawing the listener in with every sound. It was a voice that he had heard before, a voice that he had been missing, a voice that the _world_ had been missing.

"Is a sign that I'm not alright."

Sasuke stood motionless and silent, his eyes closed, his breathing still labored and uneven. Though his body had now stilled, his hands still shook as he lost himself in thought, in self-hatred, in remorse, and in longing. The tears had now stopped flowing, and the tracks they had left were now drying on his skin, making his cheek itchy, but he made no move to relieve himself of his discomfort. He couldn't believe that he had been too late, Naruto was gone forever; and the voice he had heard before, finishing the verse was simply in illusion, or his imagination. Nothing more than wishful thinking, but just as the raven confirmed these thoughts, it continued with the last three lines of the song, each word carefully pronounced, all individual, but linked together as well.

"I've fallen down deeper than you can imagine,

And for the sake of pride,

I'll stay down, and won't walk by your side."

The raven slowly opened dark eyes, pain evident in his gaze, and as he looked on the now peaceful face of his friend. He allowed himself for a moment to believe that when the eyes opened, he would be met with a soft blue gaze, rather than an angry red one. He sighed, gritting his teeth before speaking – this would be the hardest thing he would ever have to do.

"Kyuubi," he began, just as the other spoke his own name. At this, the raven fell silent; pushing his own words aside as he listened to what the blonde had to say, focusing on the perfectly smooth, curved cups of his closed eyelids, ignoring everything else.

"Sasuke…" the eyes snapped open, and Sasuke took in a sharp, disbelieving breath, "Sasuke, on behalf of the world, we thank you for never pursuing a career in music." The raven frowned as the blonde grinned cheekily, "you're fucking tone-deaf, Uchiha."

He blinked slowly once, then again, waiting for the blue eyes to burst into red, for the voice to drop, for everything he wanted to see to be gone. When nothing of the sort happened, he spoke softly, "Naruto?" then, gaining confidence he took a step forwards, subconsciously reaching out for the other man, his fingertips brushing his chest before the other took a step backwards, out of reach.

The blonde rolled his eyes unattractively, pouting in annoyance. "Does Sasuke-kun not recognize me after sooooo long?" he put on his most infuriating voice, the one he had practiced for years on Jiraiya, and which was now polished to perfection. Sasuke ground his teeth angrily, the pearly whites making a threatening grating sound as they rubbed against each other repeatedly.

"Naruto… I thought… I thought," He took a deep breath, and paused, ordering his sentences, trying to work out what to say, how to put his thoughts into words, "Uzumaki Naruto, do you know how fucking _close _I came to losing you just now? How can you just stand there and make fucking _jokes _like nothing happened?" his voice was thick with emotion, a display which caused the blue eyes to narrow slightly, before the blonde spoke again.

"Oh, Sasuke," he sighed, playing the love-struck heroine for all he was worth, "I never knew you cared," he fluttered his eyelashes and fanned himself lightly with a hand, before dropping the act abruptly. "After all, _you're_ the one who left _me_ in the first place, aren't you, Uchiha?"

The vehemence with which the name was spat, almost as if he had had a bad taste in his mouth, caused the raven to flinch uncomfortably, though he made no protestations, instead trying to work out how to phrase his apology, his _explanation _so that he would understand. "Naruto…"

"No, Sasuke, I don't want your fucking apologies. There is no fucking excuse for what you did to me, to all of us. I _loved_ you, or did you forget?" the blonde folded his arms, trying to appear intimidating, though in his ripped clothes, and in his worn state, he appeared more needy and desperate than anything else, though one look into his eyes was all the threat needed to send his message across.

"Naruto, at least let me explain." The blonde appeared to consider it for a moment, before nodding his consent, though his arms never unfolded and his glare stayed firmly in place, as Sasuke told his story, skimming over much of the detail due to their lack of time. After all this, he sighed, finishing off with, "I know everything comes back to me somehow, and I understand if you blame me completely for… all of this."

Naruto simply shook his head, "That's a lot of shit you went through Sasuke. I can't quite say I don't blame you, but I reckon you made up for it enough what with saving me and all." Sasuke smiled gratefully, the first genuine smile to grace his lips for many years, and the two stood in a companionable silence before Naruto cleared his throat loudly, enquiring when exactly they would be leaving, to which Sasuke answered 'now', and the two headed for the door together, still talking quietly.

As they neared the opening, the space was blocked by a dark figure. A tall man clad in old fashioned robes, with red clouds embroidered upon it. _Orochimaru…_ "Sasuke, Naruto, it's nice to see you both." He sneered in a low voice, beckoning to his two men in the room beyond.

As the trio stepped through the door, the blonde and the raven voiced their thoughts in exactly the same venomous tones as each other. "Orochimaru." They eyed his sidekicks warily, noticing the objects that they carried in their hands.

They both carried syringes, carefully capped, and handled with care. The first was easily recognizable to both boys, a fiery red light surrounding the glass casing, whilst the second one was not so obvious. Though it was obviously the same type of substance, the liquid within was a pale green colour, glowing with a strange ethereal luminescence.

"Who's that one then?" Sasuke asked casually, indicating the second syringe with a slight tip of the head and a hand motion.

"Shukaku," Orochimaru said, grinning wickedly at the disgusted expression on the young man's face, "an old friend." The man turned away briefly, and nodded to the two men who now uncapped the syringes, both handling them with even more caution than before in their leather-gloved hands, and advancing slowly to stand parallel with their sly superior.

It was then that Sasuke remembered the alert button the police had given him, strapped around his wrist. He pushed his sleeve up a little, ignoring the Pokémon watch he still wore on his wrist after all the years, and instead focusing on the slim metal bracelet next to it, with a miniscule red button attached to its shining silver surface. Covering his move by scratching his wrist, he brought his finger up and pressed the button lightly, hoping that the man hadn't noticed, and that he hadn't remembered too late.

Hoping against hope that help would arrive on time.


	12. Watching

**Title: **FOX

**Chapter: **12 - Retrieval

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**Notes:** 'Kay, this is stupid but the proper SasuNaru stuff will only be in the epilogue, I think. Basically I was gonna finish it with them like getting over all the stuff that happened and yeah, so it's just easier to shove it on the end. And anyway, Naru-chan is in no state to be making out right now (lol). Sasuke's just gonna have to satisfy himself for now, ne? I think my next fic will be happier, with more 'interaction', cos that's more fun, don't you think?

**Notes II: **Yes, this is a short chapter, yes, it took a long time, and yes, nothing much happens but I'M SORRY!! It's cos it's finishing soon :sob: Basically the whole thing's drawing to a close, there's not really any plot left, it's just tying up loose ends and whatnot, and it's _hard_, so once again sorry and stuff, I really, really hope the next chapter is done faster. It should be, _slightly_ more happens.

**P.S.** My keyboard fucking _died_ on me; seriously it takes me twice as long to type everything now, tch. Its like, the space bar breaks and fixes, then k, then j, then f and its sosososoososdosdososo annoying.

**P.P.S. **Why don't you all go review my oneshots yeah? I know they're crap but 'Opposites Attract' only has 2, and the other one doesn't have any at all which I find depressing and stuff. You don't have to like it, constructive criticism is better than pretending.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto and all his friends got diseased, and they've been quarantined in my room, so I _can't_ give them back…

* * *

A mountain range made its way over the pitch black screen, the green line rising and falling in a repetitive pattern, rising and falling again and again, its course showing the rhythm of the sleeping boy's heartbeat. The room was made up of gleaming white surfaces, all of them shining brightly in the fluorescent lighting. The many instruments beeped occasionally, the dials and switches confusing to the eye, and making Sasuke wonder exactly how much training all the nurses must have to go through to be able to work the machines. The metal bed frame was almost invisible, hidden beneath a combination of the white sheets and the tubes and wires coming from the motionless body. 

All was silent in the room, save for the rhythmic, slow breathing of sleep, and the steady beeping of the heart monitor. Beneath the sheets, the tanned form lay, vulnerable and untouched. His face was relaxed, beautiful in the lack of stress, the release of all the muscles that had been bunched up beneath the skin, but the dark bags under his eyes, and the scars on his cheeks were even more obvious than normal under the harsh light. Beside the bed, another young man sat silently in a rickety old metal chair, even his breathing inaudible over the little other noise. He sat close to the edge of the seat, only the balls of his feet in contact with the ground as he perched precariously on the edge, his pale fingers clasping the tanned ones, relishing in the feeling of his skin against the other's, no matter how modest the touch.

His dark hair covered most of his face, long bangs falling across his features and obscuring the delicate shapes. A satisfied smirk made its way slowly across his face as he reminisced– of course, he wasn't _happy_ that his friend was in that state, but they had achieved the main goal, and the doctors had told him that the boy would eventually recover given enough time, no matter how bad his condition looked at the moment. His eyes glazed over slightly as he relived the moment that they had succeeded, remembering the triumphant feeling bursting in his chest as he watched. Of course, that had all been before Naruto had become like this…

* * *

_Flashback – 1 day ago_

The links of the metal handcuffs rattled together as the men made their way past, walking in single file along the narrow pavement, carefully avoiding the cracks like superstitious children. _If you step on the cracks, then you'll break your mum's back!_ Other noises filling the air including the low hum of many car engines, and the hurried slamming of car doors as officers left their cars, or shut them after their new passengers. There was also a murmur of quiet voices, the people who had been here for a while informing the new arrivals of the goings on of the past few hours. The atmosphere was subdued, most simply watching in silence as one by one, the imposing men were led to separate cars, each with the telltale 'POLICE' emblazoned across the side, and pushed roughly into it by a large hand on their head, pushing them down and in, the type of manoeuvre seen in films worldwide. Each of the officers were taking it in turns to do so, grinning widely in their excitement, completely caught up in the moment.

Not _only_ did they get the chance to experience the most exciting side of being a police officer, they could do so whilst arresting the world's most wanted criminal organization, for numerous charges of murder, theft, rape and kidnap – to name a few. Yes, this was the renowned 'Akatsuki', famed for its ingenious plots and scams, and for the fact that they never gave anything away, leaving you second guessing until the last minute and _never_ getting caught, now reduce to a line of dejected, defeated-looking convicts, shuffling due to their shackles, and with their arms wrenched uncomfortably behind their backs, the handcuffs tightly encircling their wrists

Today was a day to rejoice, a day that the police force had always hoped to see, but never thought that they actually would; the day that they finally brought down the organization that had caused so much grief across the globe.

Standing slightly off to the side were two young men, so different, and yet so alike. Whilst one had dark hair, the other was blonde. The first had pale skin, whilst the other was tanned, no matter how dull his skin looked at the moment. One was famous, whilst the other was completely unknown, though not, many thought, for very long. They were yin and yang, dark and light, and yet they were both a part of a whole. When they stood together, it looked right.

As the last of the convicted men were loaded into the police cars, the dark haired boy turned his head and spoke softly to the blonde, supporting a great portion of his weight as he tried to walk, before losing patience and sweeping him completely off his feet, carrying him towards another of the waiting cars where another two officers waited. One was tall and muscular with bleached blonde hair, whilst the other was a petite brunette. Recognizing them, the raven smiled wearily in greeting, asking them a question which resulted in them nodding, and opening up the car door so that the blonde could be place inside, and belted up. When everyone was loaded up, the sirens were turned on and the cars all drove away, departing one by one, the ones carrying criminals leaving first.

* * *

Hours later, the two boys had been seated in the police station in silence, side by side, waiting. The blonde was still looking ill, and leaning on the raven tiredly, his eyelids drooping slightly as minute by minute passed with nothing happening. Neither was quite sure what, or even who they were waiting for, but Sasuke had a sneaking suspicion that the 'who' was a masked somebody with gravity-defying silver hair, due to the fact that they had been waiting to see whoever it was for over four hours.

The door slammed open violently, a man standing in the doorway, proving Sasuke's suspicions correct, asking loudly where the dobe was. As his anxious gaze focused on the blonde, noticing the state he was in, he froze, his words left unspoken, caught in his throat. His silhouette, framed against the dim morning light, cast shadows into the room, and through his half-lidded eyes, Naruto marvelled at the familiarity of the shape, even though he hadn't seen it for so much time. The man ignored Sasuke completely for a moment as he closed the gap between himself and the boy.

"Naruto? Are you okay?" as soon as the words had left the worried man's lips, the boy in question had collapsed into his arms in a dead faint, his breathing shallow and laboured, but still there, his eyes still slightly open. Kakashi's face at that moment would have been priceless, had it not been for the circumstances they were in.

Standing slowly, he picked up the immobile boy and turned to Sasuke, an unspoken question in his eyes. _What happened?_ Sasuke shrugged, signalling that he would tell him later, tell _everyone_ later, but right now, Naruto was the one thing that mattered. Kakashi nodded, and even though he had understood the motion, he failed to understand how so much information was conveyed in such a simple motion.

Shifting the weight in his arms slightly, he turned and headed towards the door, his footsteps resounding through the now-empty room, the thrum of an engine joining it as he got into his car, joined by Sasuke, heading hurriedly towards the hospital, so that they could firstly find out what was wrong with the boy, and then fix it.

* * *

The doctor's diagnosis had been simple and understandable. Whilst captive, the boy had been underfed and abused, leading to malnourishment and severe bruising, along with a number of minor cuts along with a couple of larger, infected wounds, slight internal bleeding and a couple of broken ribs. Ever since then, the raven had been seated by the bed, his dark, loving gaze directed at nothing but the sleeping form in front of him, the form of the boy who was more important than anybody right now.

The raven sighed and looked down at his bandaged fingers. He had broken his index finger, and had to have it strapped together with the one next to it. It was typical, he thought, that even though it was he who had caused all of this, he was also the one who had gotten away with little more than a scratch. When he had been cleaned up, most of the blood had washed away with the water leaving only tiny scratches that had _seemed_ bad when added up, but were in reality the type of injury a child would receive in a playground.

A nurse entered the room quietly, standing behind him and looking over his shoulder for a moment before speaking. "Mr. Uchiha? Visiting hours are over, so…" the raven looked up at her gratefully, before standing slowly and turning. He nodded his head slightly, his face now impassive, and walked from the room.

As he navigated the polished white corridors, he allowed himself to be immersed in his thoughts. Naruto had _said_ he had forgiven him, but Sasuke found it hard to forgive himself for everything that he had done, and all of the mistakes that he had made. He found it hard to believe in himself, and he found it hard to believe that at any point in his life, he had believed the decisions he had made to be the right ones.


	13. Whole Again

**Title: **FOX

**Chapter: **13 – Reunion

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**I'm sorry: **This took so long and I'm really sorry, it's just every time I sat down to write, I found myself _reading_ instead, it's so hard to keep focussed when there's so many good fics out there, and on top of that I have a really short attention span… :cough: So yeah, apologies all round and I hope it won't happen again.

**Notes:**This chapter is dedicated to Mantineus, because he succumbed to my bullying and made the number go up!! Haha!! And now he's one of my cool friends, I think, and we're gonna attempt a joint fic together, about sexy roman soldiers :nods: AND HTOTHEIZZO I LOOVE YOU, YOU'RE MY INSPIRATION BABY!! Ahem, believe it or not, this would be the last chapter. I can't believe my baby is all grown up:sobs: But yeah, there's still the epilogue, and after that there's gonna be a fic with sexy Kiba Eskimos, so I'm not really complaining. All this angst is getting to me, I need something happier, June (x-EliteAssassin-x) agrees, don't ya darlin'.

**Other Notes II: **I already have 60 reviews, that's like amazing for me, seeing as I only expected 50 at most by the end of the fic, so thanks to all my reviewers. Anyway, 8 people reviewed the last chapter, and DID YOU KNOW that if all those people had reviewed _all _the chapters, I'd have 96 reviews:subtlehinting: Kyah, I'm so greedy. I'm happy just that you're reading it and liking it, but yeah, it's nice to show your appreciation don't you think? Also, suggestions and ideas, pretty please:bats eyelashes: Right now, you guys have given me _nothing_ to improve on, and I do wanna get better at this so yeah, if you wouldn't mind?

**Disclaimer: **I'll own Naruto when K. Masashi becomes my slave, but seeing as that won't happen any time soon that means I don't own him or any of the characters. Life is unfair.

* * *

The room looked much the same as it had before, the walls were still white and every surface clean and sterile, but now the instruments were turned off, the slight red tint the small lights on them had cast over the area around them was gone, as was the stand with the drips and tubes attached to it.

The rickety metal chair, though still there and in the same position as before, was now lacking a certain dark-haired young man, and the occupant of the bed was in much better shape, now awake, sitting against the headboard of the bed and watching the news on TV, there was so much he had to catch up on after his month long imprisonment.

The screen switched from the headlines to an interview. In the waiting room, where the missing raven was seated, he couldn't help but notice the similarity of this interview to the one he had watched what seemed so long ago. The blonde interviewer was sitting across from three brown-haired young men, all of whom were still dressed quite similarly to each other, and the girl was still smiling, although this time it did reach her eyes, although the other boy was still absent, sitting on his hospital bed and watching the whole ordeal.

Another significant difference was the fact that now, everyone on screen was smiling, not only Ino. The smiles transformed the atmosphere, so genuinely happy that the mood spread through the screen to the viewers. In many homes, families sat in front of their screens simply smiling, though of course not in all cases.

He smiled slightly as he watched the blonde woman speak, her long hair swaying slightly and her bright smile once again firmly in place.

"For the past few months, I have been keeping you updated on the kidnapping of Uzumaki Naruto; two weeks ago, I was able to tell you that he had been retrieved and was now recovering in this hospital," she gestured the building behind her, "in a couple of hours, he will be discharged and will leave through these doors…"

Sighing, he blocked out the rest of what she was saying, stretching slightly, and wincing as the motion pulled on a couple of stitches in his side. Whilst he was _mostly_ recovered, he was still noticeably underweight, and his deeper wounds still hadn't healed completely, causing him some pain.

As soon as he left the building, the news crews would be bombarding him with questions, it was definitely something he could wait for – wait a _long_ time.

The door opened, and Sasuke entered, a slight smile on his face which the ignored completely, instead keeping his focus on the TV, but it wasn't because of Sasuke that he felt like he did. Sure, Sasuke had made some pretty huge mistakes, but he had compensated for them and tried his best to make everything better again, and not least of all, saved his life. After all his efforts, Naruto had thought it only fair to forgive him.

But if he'd forgiven Sasuke, then what was it that made his heart feel like a rock in his chest? What was is that made him feel sick with suppressed tears, that made him want to scream and shout, and that made tears well in the corners of his eyes? If he'd forgiven Sasuke, then what was it?

The raven haired man crossed the room, perching now on the edge of the bed rather than the chair. "Hey Naruto, do you think you're ready to meet up with everyone later?" he asked, a concerned expression on his face and in his tone of voice. As the interruption caused him to lose his train of thought, the blonde groaned.

"_Yes,_ Uchiha, I've fucking told you already. I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

The raven nodded, and they sat in a slightly awkward silence for a moment before he spoke again. "What about the reporters? Are you ready for them?"

The blonde bit his lip, trying to suppress the urge to hurt him. At that moment in time, the sound of the familiar voice was particularly irritating. Using all of his self control, he simply rolled his eyes before replying, and then he did so with a reluctant tone of voice. "It's not like I have much choice in that."

The raven smirked once again, infuriating the blonde to no end. "What do you keep fucking smirking about, teme?" he growled. Sasuke's eyes widened at the use of the old nickname, no matter how hostile the tone in which it was said was, before he collected himself and replied slowly.

"Well, dobe. If you leave from the back entrance, there'll only be _one_ reporter." Naruto simply stared at the other's stupidity.

"Sasuke, one reporter is just as bad as all of them. They'll just ask as many questions as all the others put together."

"No, she won't." he grinned, "its Ino."

* * *

The group sat at the counter of Ichiraku's, much the same as they had done so weeks ago when they had been discussing how to get Naruto back, now they were waiting for the man himself to show up with Sasuke and Ino.

They were all nervous and impatient, the short conversation that passed between them clipped and full of suppressed energy, and excitement hung in the air making all of their movements' jerky and filling their eyes with light. Their mood was charging the air in the small restaurant, spreading the mood and making all of the other diners slightly nervous, as they kept throwing nervous glances at the group.

The doors slammed open and the group all looked up simultaneously, even the notoriously lazy Nara Shikamaru. They had looked up many times since they had been there, and every time so far they had been disappointed, but this time they were rewarded for their _almost _patient waiting.

The first new person to enter was a tall, smartly dressed woman with a pretty face, bright blue eyes and long blonde hair tied up in a neat ponytail. Her shoes tapped on the tiled floor as she made her way across the room, and even without the nametag still pinned to her lapel, almost everybody recognized her from the news as Yamanaka Ino.

The second figure was an equally tall young man, with a pensive brooding expression and carefully styled raven black hair, perfectly matched with equally dark obsidian eyes. His skin was pale, his features were even and he was slender and fit. He was wearing an outfit consisting of black from head to toe, he wore a black jumper and dark navy jeans with a long black coat, slightly reminiscent of The Matrix, though he was one of the very few men who could actually pull the look off and still look good, _and _as if they had thrown it on at the last minute.

Although the latter did receive more than a couple of second glances, it was the third and final entrant that held everybody's attention. As the man made his way cautiously across the room, gasps and whispers filled the silence that had come when people had noticed him – at first it was questioning, as the blonde man's face as heavily bandaged, and his hair was still not quite back to the state it was in before, and still hung lankly down the side of his face, but as they all realized that they were thinking the same thing, it turned to excitement and amazement.

His was the face that had been dotting newspapers, magazines and the internet for the last few months. His was the name on the lips of radio DJs, TV presenters and the general public, and even before then, his face had been seen in various magazines, and on posters and his voice had been, and was still heard when many of the teenage population turned on their MP3 players.

He looked around nervously as he walked, trying his best to ignore the stares and whispers still coming his way, and catching up to the dark haired man, walking in his shadow, even though the action did nothing to deter the watchful eyes. When they had reached the far side of the room, the man immediately hid himself in the middle of the group that they had joined, all the while looking around the room nervously, discomfort evident in the azure gaze along with sadness and what many assumed to be anger.

"Can we get out of here?" he whispered after a few minutes, his voice sounding weak and childish. The group simply nodded and murmured their consent, standing and making their way back across the room, and all the while screening his form from view with their own bodies.

* * *

The light dimmed slowly as the day left, the sun moving downwards, night following quickly in its wake across the dusky blue sky. As the light left, it took with it not only the day time, but all of the pain and anger that had occurred.

The fading light sparkled on the grass, the tiny dew droplets clinging to each blade reflecting it, until the ground looked like a mirror image of the stars that were now becoming visible in the sky above them.

Though the atmosphere was calm and quiet, sounds of the city filled the air. The bark of a dog, the hum of an engine, the beep of the traffic lights and the singing of a last bird, on its way to the nest to rest for the night.

In contrast, the group seated in a circle atop the hill were silence itself. They simply sat among each other, reminiscing and reliving past events, and enjoying the presence of each others' company. It had been so long since they had all been together like this, for any amount of time.

It was only now, when they were given time to think, that they realized that it was Naruto who held them altogether, Naruto who pulled the strings, and Naruto whom they had _all_ grown to care about as a brother, or a son.

As the scene fell into complete darkness, even the low purr of the engines seemed to fade into nothing, the muted glow of the streetlamps casting the areas around them into yellow pools of light, illuminating objects and casting weak shadows over their faces.

A single member of the group stood, slowly stretching his legs and looking around at the glazed expressions on every single one of his friends faces, showing him that each one was deep in thought about the occurrences of the day, and there _was_ a lot to think about. Not only had they not seen him for a number of years, but he had just been released from hospital due to multiple injuries caused by his captors.

It was something that nobody would ever have been able to dream of happening, something surprising and inexplicable, only it _could _be explained, and the explanation pointed the finger of guilt at one friend in particular.

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he instead focused on the others, smiling as he watched. All of the years that he had ignored them, and then left them, came back to him in a rush, carrying with them the guilt he now felt at treating them that way, realizing that it was never their fault that things had turned out that way, and that he was the one in the wrong all of the way through the ordeal, just as much as Sasuke was.

For a few minutes, nothing changed, until the dark haired boy, the one that he couldn't help but blame, stood too, walking the few steps it took to reach the blonde's side silently, placing each foot down with care so as not to disturb anything.

"Naruto…"

He reached out a tentative arm and touched his friend's shoulder, quickly drawing back his hand as the other flinched, hurt evident in his expression, "Naruto, I'm sorry." The boy simply looked at him emotionlessly, his face a blank canvas with nothing showing through. The inner agony he went through at seeing the usually expressionate face in such a state was enough to rip him apart, but he refused to give up as he wrapped his arms loosely around the other's slim waist – sometimes, you had to take the first step yourself, no matter how hard it may be.

As he did so, the blonde stiffened slightly, but after a few moments, he sighed resignedly and relaxed, though he still made no effort to return the gesture, instead leaving his hands hanging limply by his sides as the other embraced him, his face still an emotionless mask though inside his mind was in turmoil, the simple touch pushing his consciousness over the edge into a panic.

A few minutes later, he hugged him back, his touch so light that Sasuke would have passed it off as his imagination, were it not for the fact that he could see the hands about his shoulders with his own eyes. Taking the motion as a sign, he took another step closer, and almost froze when the other rested his head on his shoulder and whispered his name in a voice so quiet that it would have been inaudible, were it not for the fact that his lips were right next to his ear.

The tickle of warm breath on his ear sent shivers down his spine, and he replied simply by wrapping his arms a little tighter around the slender form and pulling their bodies in line with each other, realizing with concealed surprise and happiness that even now, after so long their bodies still fitted together, the lines of their bodies fusing together until they even looked to be one person, rather than two.

He allowed a contented sigh to pass his lips; when they were like this, he couldn't help but feel completed, as if the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle had finally been slotted into place, the piece that had been lost for so long that he had had no idea where to find it. It filled in the emptiness that he had had for as long as he could remember, and the void was instantly gone, dissipating into thin air like nothing.

The pair stood together like that for a long while, so lost in thoughts once again that as the others awakened from their trance-like states and watched, soft smiles crossing their faces at the scene, they did not notice. Not even when they one by one stood, leaving them uninterrupted by some unspoken agreement.

Some things could only be sorted out themselves; things like _these_ could never be fixed from the outside, only from within.

"Sasuke, I forgive you."

Hearing these words, Sasuke opened his eyes that he had closed at some point, instantly meeting the blue gaze as the blonde lifted his head, and Sasuke found himself falling, once again into the azure depths, much the same as Naruto was lost in the darkness of his own. Pale lips parted as the raven attempted to speak, though no sounds escaped from them, except for a soft rush of air. He was mute, unable to speak to the blonde, unable to tell him how he felt, though words would not be adequate to do so anyway, so he did instead the only thing he felt was right.

Bending his head slightly forwards, he closed the space between their faces, refusing to close his eyes until the other had done so, and pressed his lips softly against the others, burning the moment into his mind, the feeling of elation and of passion, the feeling of his heart skipping a beat, of his breath sticking in his throat, the feeling of the soft fabric of the blonde's shirt slipping through his fingers, and the feeling of his lips against his own, the surprisingly soft skin sending shocks through his body.

He did this because he was still unsure if it would ever happen again. As the other kissed him back, though the action was still innocent and untainted by lust or desire, the love he felt for the boy rushed to his chest at full force, causing his heart to beat a little faster still, and his breath to come in short, ragged gasps, until he was forced to break the kiss and breathe in the cool night air. Once he had done so, he made no move to kiss him again, not wanting to lose the moment, instead immersing himself in blue once again.

It was completion in its utmost; two halves of a whole finally joined together once more into a single, solid object, unmovable and unbreakable. A carving etched deeply into stone, something that would last for many years to come.


	14. Epilogue

**Title: **FOX

**Chapter: **14 – Epilogue

**Author: **Flourescized

**Summary: **Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…

**Pairings: **SasukexNaruto

**Notes: **I can't quite believe it's the end of my first ever fic on here, I've had so many good reviews and stuff from people on here and I love you all for it, 'kay? I hope all the people reading this are gonna read my other fics, and also if you're reading this and it's finished and stuff, review still cos I'll still read them. Nyah, I hope you like this chapter – lots of making up & out (even though I can't write make out scenes to save my life, sorry! I did try though, and it's like the first one ever, so I guess I can use that as an excuse?)!!

**Disclaimer: **For once, I'm gonna let K. Masashi have them without a fight, but _only_ once… :schemes:

* * *

_Naruto's Thoughts_

It has been five years.

It has been five years since I forgave Sasuke, five years since I broke through the barriers he built once again, since I broke through my _own_ barriers, and embraced him.

It has been five years since I made my friends once again, since they forgave me for my mistakes and my emotion-clouded decisions, and the lies that grew and grew.

It has been five years since I found myself in all of the confusion.

So many things have happened in those five years that it's hard to know where to begin. There have been changes, and many things have stayed the same, and even some things have returned to how they used to be. The relationship Sasuke and I shared long ago has been renewed, the flame rekindled, and he is now a permanent part of my life.

About half a year after he saved my life, he became our (the band's) new manager, and the four of us are agreed that he organizes things much better than Jiraiya ever could, and his work is so beneficial for our progress. I can't even begin to thank him enough, not only does he do all of this but our relationship is never a part of it, somehow he manages to keep it out of the way of everything, and things run smoothly.

As soon as I could, I returned to the band. I guess singing is the only thing I really know how to do any more. You could say that music is my life, and whilst it sounds over-dramatic, it's true. Singing is the outlet for my emotions, or my anger, my love, my hate and my happiness. everything I feel comes across in my music, and I cant help but think that if I hadn't started singing when Sasuke left, I would never have been able to forgive him the way I did.

I told Yuri, Izumi and Kei about all of it pretty soon afterwards, it was pretty cruel to leave them in the dark after everything that had happened, and now my two 'lives' are integrated, and have fused into one. Of course, after I told them about Sasuke, they hated him, but I think they've come around now, and they're a full 'member' of the group now.

It only hit me that time five years ago when we were all together how many friends I have now. It all goes to show just how much Uchiha Sasuke changed my life. He has saved my life more than once, in different ways. Before the day that we became friends, I didn't know anyone. Hell, I didn't _want_ to know anybody. I didn't trust them, I was unwilling to talk to them, and I did my best to keep out of their way at all times – I guess that must have been a part of the reason that they all hated me. Of course, I always had Iruka and Kakashi, but there was never anybody my age.

And all of these things do nothing but make me fall even deeper than before, way over my head.

* * *

_Sasuke's Thoughts_

It has been five years.

Its strange how much my life has changed all over again – Naruto has that much of an effect on me, it's one of the many reasons why I love him. Top of the list is the fact that he is still what defines me, even after all that has happened.

Five years ago I was still asking myself that question: "Who am I?" Well, now I know, all thanks to him.

After I completed my 'mission', the question kept popping back into my head, again and again. All of those times I just sat by the hospital bed, thinking, it was about the answer to that question, and all the while that he was like that, unresponsive, I couldn't find an answer no matter how hard I searched. It was only when he forgave me that I realized who I am.

I am Uchiha Sasuke. The man who loves and will always love Uzumaki Naruto, no matter what happens, or how many mistakes he may make.

It would be hypocritical if I changed my mind over something like that; especially after all of the pain my own mistakes caused him. All of those times, when the things that I have done have caused me to hurt him, all of it just makes our bond stronger.

If none of this had happened, would we ever have been sure? That I have hurt him so much, and still love him and _be_ loved by him, doesn't that show that what we feel really _is_ love? We understand each other – yeah, it sounds stupid but because of the effects all of this had on both of us, it shows that no matter what happens, whatever stupid decisions we make, we will _always_ love each other.

Call it a test of our commitment; if it was that then we passed with flying colours. If I had never left, if we had stayed together happily, would we ever have been sure?

* * *

_Normal POV_

"I reserved your table for you – I knew you'd be back." Ayame smiled at the two young men in front of her, both of similar height, and yet different in every other way. The dark haired one of the two smiled gratefully, grabbing the others hand and dragging him to the back of the room where they sat at a table set for seventeen places, each with a small name card in their customary seats, reading:

Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akamichi Chouji, Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, Higurashi Tenten, Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi, Nakashima Yuri, Suzuki Izumi and Suzuki Kei.

The men's mouths curved into smiles as they took their places side by side at the table, patiently awaiting the arrival of the other fifteen people who were supposed to be there any time now.

They didn't have to wait long before a tall blonde and a man who was slightly shorter than her but with hair that more than made up for the difference joined them.

"Heey Ino-chan, Shika-_kun_!" the blonde said with a foxy grin, biting his lip to keep from laughing at the disgusted expression the brunette wore at the nickname.

The two took their seats, and one by one the others arrived and began to talk, catching up with each other and spreading new gossip. Predictably, the last ones to arrive were Kakashi and Iruka, the silver haired man armed with yet another creative excuse.

"Sorry we're late, but Iruka had to do his hair." Kakashi looked at his partner, an evil smirk on his face as the tanned face flushed and his eyes widened. The silver haired man pouted slightly, though it was almost invisible beneath the black material of his mask, and continued. "I thought it was unfair that I always get blamed for being late, when it's _actually_ your hair that won't stay up."

The brunette frowned. "It only won't stay up because you keep trying to play with it, so it _is _your fault!" Kakashi scowled again and let it drop, before they took their seats too.

The people all began to talk over the past year; it had become ritual now, every year at the same time they returned to Ichiraku's and repeated the process of catching up they had gone through five years ago, though now on a much smaller scale.

The conversation droned on and on, and Sasuke was getting fidgety. With a sly sideways glance, he reached under the table and put his hand on the blonde's upper thigh, massaging the soft flesh and fabric between his fingers and biting back a laugh at the expression on his face.

Naruto's skin had flushed a bright red and he was sputtering, wide eyed, but trying to conceal it all the same. The people around the table concealed knowing smiles, simply continuing in their conversation and ignoring the two.

The raven kept it up for at least ten minutes before he stood.

"I'm going to the bathroom." He winked slyly at the blonde, "coming, dobe?"

Naruto simply sighed, nodding slightly as he realized with defeat that even if he _hadn't _wanted to go, he wouldn't have had a choice anyway. Standing, he took the offered hand and the two walked towards the door together, leaving the people at the table smirking into their bowls, and Kakashi giving Iruka a suggestive glance to which the brunette was blushing almost as hard as Naruto had been before.

The last thing that Naruto had time to hear before he was attacked with a frenzy of kisses was the quiet click of the door closing behind them.

Even before he had had time to think, he had found himself pressed up against the wall, sandwiched between that and the soft body of his dark-haired lover, and whilst he had no complaints whatsoever, he would have preferred a bit of time to think.

Tilting his head back slightly, he exposed even more of the soft skin covering his neck, biting his lip to keep from moaning as supple lips made a their way from his jaw down to his collar bone, the wet kisses leaving a warm trail behind even after the contact was over, each touch sending shivers down his spine and clouding his brain with ecstasy.

The dark haired boy smirked conspirationally as his mouth opened slightly, his tongue probing from between his lips, tasting the tanned skin. The blonde shivered, trying to hold back a moan, but despite his efforts, he still let out a minimal amount of sound.

Moving his mouth back upwards, Sasuke attached himself to the other mouth to mouth, devouring the lips hungrily, his breath coming short and sharp, his heart racing and blood pooling downwards towards his groin as he relished in the feeling.

"Sa-Sasuke…" he pulled back briefly to look at the boy beneath him, taking in deep breaths of air and smirking at the pout adorning his face, complaining at the sudden lack of contact, "you're s-so impatient… S-Sasu-chan…" he said, still breathless from the previous kiss.

Sasuke's answer was simply to bend downwards once again to reclaim the other's lips, opening his mouth slightly to emit a probing tongue which pushed firmly against the seam of his lips, forcibly causing the other to open his mouth.

The blonde moaned slightly into the kiss, enjoying it despite the manner in which it was pressed upon him, but a few minutes later he found himself kissing back with just as much passion, fighting with the Uchiha for domination, and failing miserably. Though, he consoled himself, he didn't mind _that_ much, after all.

The room was filled with the quiet sounds of lips and teeth against each other and low moans as the pair continued to hungrily devour each other's mouths and grind the other, or _be_ ground into the wall

* * *

Outside of the bathroom, the diners had been listening in on the two boys. After a while, they heard a low murmur of conversation, one voice in a shocked tone and the other sultry and leering. 

The latter appeared to be suggesting something, which the former was shocked at, and their suspicions were proven true when they heard a snatch of the conversation: "What the _fuck_ Sasuke, why do you carry that around with you?" there was a reply before, "no! Not here, teme. Save it for later, okay?"

There was a couple of minutes more conversation, during which the voice got more and more shocked and protesting, before finally the door slammed open to emit a breathless and flushed blonde, followed closely by the raven, still holding what appeared to be a leather whip in his hand. Upon seeing this, the people at the table the two boys were now seated at were looking at the raven-haired boy with disbelieving expressions, and there was a slight murmur of conversation, as well as the occasional giggle, as everybody else realized what had happened.

They thought back to what the waitress had said when they had come in, and putting two and two together, vowed never to return to the restaurant on that particular date ever again.

Although it had been amusing, they doubted they could put up with it ever again – once was enough, though not for Sasuke of course.

* * *

**C'EST FINI.  
****  
_I apologize but the next fic won't be out for a while, cos not only do I have to write it I have to finalize the plot and plan it (better than last time) and stuff, cos otherwise it'll just be crap so I think maybe sometime next week? But then again I do have a bit more work and stuff atm, so I'm not really sure but I'll try and get it done for you as soon as possible, keep reading!  
//Flourescized_**


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